• Song:

    Sir Galahad

  • Artist:

    Josh Ritter

Capo 2nd fret  (he has played it open in concert as well)
All chords are relative to the capo

There are two progressions
C5 F5 , C5 G5 C5
E5 G5 C5 F5 , C5 G5 C5


C5
The angel of the Holy Grail
    F5
saw Galahad come riding
          C5         G5             C5
So he took the Holy Grail off the shelf.

C5
And inside the holy chapel made for
F5
Holy Grail hiding the angel
C5                G5          C5
Could be seen to smile to himself.


E5                       G5
"If you're the great Sir Galahad
C5                       F5
From now on," said the angel
         C5              G5             C5
"May all angels call me blessed of my race."

E5                           G5
"If you're not the great Sir Galahad
C5                      F5                 C5
I'll warn you, keep on riding and if you are
              G5               C5
I pray you'll let me see your face."


C5
Galahad took off his helmet, said
F5
"Good angel look upon me.
     C5                G5                C5
Fear not, for I bring tidings of great joy.

C5
For long years the grail you've guarded, now
F5
You get to let me drink it, how
C5             G5             C5
Happy must be angels thus employed."

CFCGC

C5
"All the favors you shower upon
F5
Me, a simple angel," said the
C5            G5             C5
Angel, "your magnificence abounds.

C5
Take your boots off great Sir Galahad,
    F5
For by your astounding beauty whatever
C5                   G5             C5
Ground you stand on turns to holy ground."

C5
Galahad took off his boots, and he
F5
Watched the ground quite closely
        C5            G5           C5
And the angel smiled to himself again.

C5
He said, "I can't believe I'm asking, but
    F5
Sir Galahad please tell me, what is
C5                 G5              C5
It that makes you want to go to heaven?


E5                    G5
In heaven there's no lamb chops,
      C5               F5
Queen Guinevere's for hand jobs,
C5                G5            C5
Marijuana, Kenny Rogers, or Ecstasy.

   E5            G5
No pillaging, no rape, perhaps
       C5               F5
you've come by some mistake to me
     C5                G5            C5
this seems more error than knight errantry.

CFCGC x2

C5
Yes, and what about the stable boys,
F5
I know you think they're handsome
            C5                       G5              C5
and some of them , they think you're awful handsome too.

C5
And, sitting up in heaven, you'll still
F5
think about them often, when you're an
C5                G5                C5
angel thinking's all that you can do."


E5                      G5
At this, Sir Galahad got angry,
  C5                             F5
"Angel," he said, "don't you tempt me.
  C5             G5                 C5
I wish to go to heaven and not to hell.

        E5                G5
So when stable boys look lonesome,
C5                      F5
When the women call me handsome,
     C5                   G5         C5
I'll hold me virtue very firmly by myself."


   C5
"I guarantee you'll hold it often,"
               F5
said the angel. "Oh one more thing, before you
C5                      G5               C5
drink the wine, please take your armor off.

C5
I gotta carry you to heaven,
    F5
And despite what you'd imagine,
       C5               G5             C5
I have trouble bearing heavy things aloft."

CFCGC x2

C5
Sir Galahad stood naked
F5
In a pile of his armor,
    C5                G5              C5
His boots and helmet scattered all around.

    C5
His perfect lips, they sipped the grail,
    F5
His perfect heart commenced to fail,
    C5            G5             C5
His perfect body fell upon the ground.


E5               G5
The angel lit a cigarette.
     C5               F5
When he was sure Galahad was dead,
   C5                 G5                  C5
He picked all of his clothes up off the floor.

     E5            G5
Then I put on his boots and armor
  C5             F5
I laid his body on the altar
        C5               G5              C5
Put his helmet on and I headed for the door.
Show more