1811. A Keening Song

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Dm

In years gone by

or ages past

they would have sung


a keening song

Gm

But now the keeners

are long gone

A7

and no one wails


at your passing

Dm

They sit in silence

at your wake

and listen to the

Bb
eulogy

C

That tells the story

Gm

in five minutes

A7

of your life and work and


loves and hobbies

Dm

But who

C

will

Gm

weep for

A7
you?

Dm

Who

C

will

Gm

wail for

A7
you?

Dm

Some will make a joke

or two

to break the silence


and the gloom

C

and some may shed a tear

and say how they'll miss you

dear-

A7
ly

Dm

Then they'll go

into a room

and have a cup of tea


and eat little savouries

C

and sausage rolls and egg

sandwiches all cut into

A7
triangles

Dm

But who

C

will

Gm

keen for

A7
you?

Dm

C

Gm

B7

E

B7

E

B7

E

But who, who will weep and wail?

and throw themselves onto the ground?

unable to stand,


unable to go on

besides themselves with grief

and desper-

B7

ation?

	E
And	who will cut

themselves with stones

or bash their head


against a wall

or cast themselves into the sea

for they can't go on living

B7

without you?

E

I'm sorry

B7

to say this,

C

but probably

B7
no one

E

they might shed a

B7

tear and be

C

sad for a

B7
year

	E
and	after

B7

that they'll

C

forget all

B7
about you

E

so let me

B7

sing a

C

keening song

B7
for you (E7)

Am

All is lost!

Dm

All is lost!

C

You are gone and I am

E
bereft!

	Am
The	spoiler has

Dm

come and

C

left me with nothing but

E
desolatiom

	Am
The	grim tyrant has

Dm

come and taken

C

away my only

E
love!

Am

Now there is only

Dm

silence where

C

once there was

E
laughter!

Am

All is lost!

Dm

All is lost!

C

There is no joy in the

E
world anymore!

Am

The sun has been

Dm

darkened now you have been

C

ripped from the

E
world!

	Am
You are	gone! You are

Dm

gone and I

C

can't go on without

E
you!

	Am
I	throw myself

Dm

onto the ground in grief

	C
I	cut myself with

E
stones!

	Am
I will	throw myself off a

Dm

cliff for I

C

can't carry on without

E
you!

	Am
You are the	sun, and you have

Dm

set and left me

C

here in

E
darkness!

	Am
There is	nothing here for me

Dm

any more

C

in this world of

E
sorrow!

	Am
There is	no one here to

Dm

comfort me

	C
and	ease my

E
lamentation!

	Am
A	great star has

Dm

fallen from the

C

sky

E
but I have to say

	Am
these	egg

Dm

sand-

C

wiches are

E
delicious!