A                   D               A
I meant to ask you how to fix that car
  D                                 A 
I always meant to ask you about the war
F#m              D                   A
And what you saw across a bridge too far
               E
Did it leave a scar
           A         D                 A
Or how you navigated wings of fire and steel
         D                             A                    
Up where heaven had no more secrets to conceal
F#m                     D                    A
And still you found the ground beneath your wheels
           E
How did it feel
D                    A
Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
   E                      A
To dust be returning from dust we begin
D                         A
Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
F#m       D        A      E      A
Above and below me world without end
A                           D                 A
I meant to ask you how when everything seemed lost
D                                        A
And your fate was in a game of dice they tossed
F#m                            D               A
There was still that line that you would never cross
       E
At any cost
           A                D              A
I meant to ask you how you lived what you believed
     D                              A
With nothing but your heart up your sleeve
F#m             D           A
And if you ever really were deceived
                E
By the likes of me
D                    A
Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
   E                      A
To dust be returning from dust we begin
D                         A
Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
F#m       D        A      E      A
Above and below me world without end
E                                 D
Gone now is the day and gone the sun
        A
There is peace tonight all over Arlington
        E                              D
But the songs of my life will still be sung
       A                     E
By the light of the moon you hung
           A       D                A
I meant to ask you how to plow that field
D                                   A
I meant to bring you water from the well
    F#m        D                   A
And be the one beside you when you fell
          E
Could you tell
D                    A
Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
   E                      A
To dust be returning from dust we begin
D                         A
Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
F#m       D        A      E      A
Above and below me world without end

From Emmylou Harris "Red Dirt Girl"
Nonesuch Records 2000
Poodlebone Music/EMI April Music