Birches
Bill Morrissey
 Key=Bb [Capo 3 - Play like G, Bm, Am, C D]
 [These notations are used below. G=Bb, Bm=Dm, etc]

[G]They sat at each end of the couch, 
and [Bm]watched as the fire burned down.
So [Am]quiet on this winter's night,
[walk] Not a [C]house-light on for [D]miles around.

Then he [G]said, "I think I'll fill the stove. 
[Bm]It's getting time for bed."
[Am]She looked up. "I think I'll have some wine. 
How 'bout [C]you?" she asked, and [D] he declined.

[G] "Warren," she said, "Maybe just [Bm]for tonight,
let's [Am] fill the stove with birches 
and [C] watch as the fire [D] burns bright.

[G] How long has it been? 
It's [Bm] been quite a while.
[Am] Pour yourself half a glass and 
[C] stay with me a [D]  little while."

And [G] Warren, he shook his head 
as if  [Bm] she'd made some kind of joke.
[Am]"Birches? On a winter night? 
[C] No, we'll fill the [D] stove with oak.

[G]Oak will burn as long and hot 
as a [Bm] July afternoon.
[Am] Birch will burn [C] itself out 
by the [D] rising of the moon.

[G]  And you hate a cold house same as me. 
[Bm] Am I right or not?"
[Am]"All right, all right that's [C]true," 
she said [D]"It was just a thought."

Then she said,[G]"Warren, you do look tired. 
Maybe [Bm] you should go up to bed.
[Am]  I'll take care of the wood tonight." 
[C] "Oak," he told her. [D] "Oak," she said.

[G]She listened to his footsteps 
as he [Bm] climbed up the stairs.
Then she [Am]pulled a sweater on her and 
[C] set her wine glass [D] on a chair.

She [G] walked down cellar to the woodbox. 
It was [Bm] cold as an ice chest.
Then [Am] climbed back up with [C] four logs, 
each as white as a [D] wedding dress.

And she [G]filled the stove and poured the wine, 
then she [Bm]  sat down on the floor.
[Am]She curled her legs beneath her, 
[C] as the fire sprang to [D] life once more.

And it [G]filled the room with it's hungry light, 
and it [Bm] cracked as it drew air.
And the [Am] shadows danced a [C]jittery waltz 
like no one else was [D] there.

She [G] stood up in the heat, and 
she [Bm] twirled around the room.
And the [Am] shadows, they 
saw [C] nothing but a young girl on her [D]honeymoon.

And she [G] knew the time, it would be short 
soon the [Bm]  fire would start to fade.
She [Am] thought of heat, she [C]  thought of time.
She [D] called it an even [G] trade.