I wanted an easy, but accurate version of this song so I ended up writing the chords
myself (first one ever!). It's such a lovely song and hope more people can enjoy it as a
result of my chords!
Capo 5
C
I can smell the death on the sheets
C
Covering me
C G
I can't believe this is the end
G C
But this is my deathbed
D Em
I lie here alone
G C
If I close my eyes tonight
D G
I know I'll be home
G Dm
The year was nineteen forty one
F
I was eight years old and
C
Far, far too young
G
To know that the stories
Dm
Of battles and glory
F
Was a tale a kind mother
C
Made up for her son
You see
G Dm
Dad was a traveling preacher
F C
Teaching the words of the Teacher
G
My mother had sworn he
Dm
Went off to the war
F
And died there with honor
C
Somewhere on a beach there
Em B
But he left once to never return
G A
Which taught me that I should unlearn
C G
Whatever I thought a father should be
A#
I abandoned that thought
A
Like he abandoned me
A A9
By forty seven I was fourteen
G D
I'd acquired a taste for liquor and nicotine
Dm A
I smoked until I threw up
E
Yet I still lit 'em up
Emaj7 E7
For thirty more years
A
Like a machine
C G
So right there you have it
C G
That one filthy habit
Am G D
Is what got me where I am today
C
I can smell the death on the sheets
Covering me
C G D
I can't believe this is the end
C
I can hear those sad memories
Still haunting me, So many things
C G D
I'd do again
G C
But this is my deathbed
D Em
I lie here alone
G C
If I close my eyes tonight
D G
I know I'll be home
G Dm
I got married on my twenty first
F C
Eight months before my wife would give birth
G Dm
It's easier to be sure you love someone
F C
When her father inquires with the barrel of a gun
Em B
The union was far from harmonious
G A
No two people could have been more alone than us
C G
The years would go by and she'd love someone else
A# A
And I realized I hadn't been loved yet myself
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/r/relient_k/deathbed_crd_ver_4.html ]
A A9
From there it's your typical spiel
G
Yeah if life was a highway
D
I was drunk at the wheel
Dm
I was seeing the loose ends
A
All fall apart
E Emaj7 E7
Yeah I swear I was destined to fail
A
And fail from the start
C G
I bowled about six times a week
C G
The bottle of Beam kept the memories from me
C G
The marriage had taken a seven-ten split
Am G D
And along with my pride the ex-wife took the kids
C
I can smell the death on the sheets, covering me
C G D
I can't believe this is the end
C
I can hear those sad memories
Still haunting me
So many things
C G D
I'd do again
G C
But this is my deathbed
D Em
I lie here alone
G C
If I close my eyes tonight
D G
I know I'll be home
G
I was so scared of Jesus
Dm
But He sought me out
F
Like the cancer in my lungs
C
That's killing me now
G
And I've given up hope
Dm
On the days I have left
F
But I cling to the hope
C
Of my life in the next
Em
Then Jesus showed up
B
Said, "Before we go up
G A
I thought that we might reminisce
C
See one night in your life
G
When you turned out the light
A# A
You asked for and prayed for my forgiveness"
A
You cried wolf
F#m E
The tears they soaked your fur
D Bm
The blood dripped from your fangs
A E
You said, "What have I done?"
Bm
You loved that Lamb
A F#m
With every sinful bone
E
And there you wept alone
Bm E
Your heart was so contrite
Bm A D
You said, "Jesus, please forgive me of my crimes
Bm A D
Sanctify this withered heart of mine
Bm A D
Stay with me until my life is through
Bm A D
And on that day please take me home with you"
D
I can smell the death on the sheets
Covering me
A E
I can't believe this is the end
D
I can hear You whisper to me,
"It's time to leave
A E
You'll never be lonely again"
A D
But this was my deathbed
E F#m
I died there alone
A D
When I closed my eyes tonight
E D
You carried me home
Instrumental : (D A) x many times
[Jon Foreman]
A C#m
I am the Way
F#m
Follow Me
D E
And take My hand
A C#m
And I am the Truth
F#m D E
Embrace Me and you'll understand
A C#m
And I am the Light
G D
And for Me you'll live again
D E F#m
For I am Love
D E F#m
I am Love
A D D E A
I, I am Love
