[Intro]
(Resonator guitar)
| Dm7 | Bb | Gm7 | Gm7 |
| Dm | Cadd9 | Am | Dm |
| Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
| Dm | Dm | Dm |
(Piano)
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
(Piano and electric guitar)
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
| D5 | F C | G | D |
| D5 | Gm/D | Csus4 | C |
[Verse 1]
F Dm
A long time ago came a man on a track
C Bb
walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
Bb C F C
and he put down his load where he thought it was the best
Bb Gm7 Bb (C)
He made a home in the wilderness
F Dm
He built a cabin and a winter store
C Bb
and he ploughed up the ground by the cold lake shore
Bb C F C
and the other travellers came walking down the track
Bb Gm7 Bb (C)
and they never went further, no, they never went back
F Dm
Then came the churches then came the schools
C Bb
then came the lawyers then came the rules
Bb C F C
Then came the trains and the trucks with their loads
Bb (D5)
and the dirty old track was the telegraph road
[Interlude]
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
| D5 | F C | G | D |
| D5 | Gm/D | Csus4 | C |
[Verse 2]
F Dm
Then came the mines - then came the ore
C Bb
then there was the hard times then there was a war
Bb C F C
Telegraph sang a song about the world outside
Bb Gm7 Bb
telegraph road got so deep and so wide
Bb (F)
like a rolling river. . .
[Solo]
| F | Dm | C | Bb | Bb C | F C | Bb | Gm | Gm Bb |
| F | Dm | C | Bb | Bb C | F C | Bb | Gm | Gm Bb |
| F | Dm | C | Bb | Bb C | F C | Bb | Bb |
[Interlude]
| Dm | Dm7 | G | D |
| Dm | F C | G | D |
[Bridge]
Gm Gm
And my radio says tonight it's gonna freeze
Dm Dm
People driving home from the factories
C
There's six lanes of traffic
Am Dm C
Three lanes moving slow. . .
[Piano solo]
| Dm | A7#5 A7 | Bb Em7b5 | C F | Gm C | Fsus4 F | Gm F/A | Bb |
[Guitar solo]
| Dm | A7#5 A7 | Bb Em7b5 | C F | Gm C | Fsus4 F | Gm F/A | Bb A7 |
| Dm | A7#5 A7 | Bb Em7b5 | C F | Gm C | Fsus4 F | Gm F/A | Bb A7 |
[Piano solo]
| Dm | A/D | Bb Em7b5 | Em7b5 F | Bb C | Bb F | Gm F/A | Bb A7 |
| Dm | Dm | C |
[Verse 3]
C F Dm
I used to like to go to work but they shut it down
C Bb
I've got a right to go to work but there's no work here to be found
Bb C F C
Yes and they say we're gonna have to pay what's owed
Bb Gm7 Bb (C)
We're gonna have to reap from seed that's been sowed
F Dm
And the birds up on the wires and the telegraph poles
C Bb
They can always fly away from this rain and this cold
Bb C F C
You can hear them singing out their telegraph code
Bb Dm
all the way down the telegraph road
[Interlude]
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
| D5 | F C | G | D |
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D |
| D5 | F C | G | D |
[Verse 4]
(D) Dm Dm
You know I'd sooner forget but I remember those nights
C Bb
When life was just a bet on a race between the lights
Bb C F C
You had your head on my shoulder, you had your hand in my hair
Bb Gm7 (Bb)
Now you act a little colder like you don't seem to care
F Dm
But believe in me baby and I'll take you away
C Bb
From out of this darkness and into the day
Bb C F C (F)
From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain
Bb C F C (F)
From the anger that lives on the streets with these names
Bb C F C (F)
'cos I've run every red light on memory lane
Bb C F C (F)
I've seen desperation explode into flames
Bb C F C
And I don't wanna see it again. . .
Am Dm (Bb)
From all of these signs saying sorry but we're closed
(Bb)
all the way
Bb F C Dm
Bb F Gm7
Bb F C Dm
Bb F Bb (D5)
down the telegraph road
[Solo]
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D | D5 | F C | G | D | x3
(pick up pace)
| D5 | Dm7 | G/D | D | D5 | F C | G | D | x3
(band, drums join)
| Dm | F | G | D | Dm | F C | G | D | x7
(piano solo)
| Dm | F | G | D | Dm | F C | G | D | x2
(guitar solo)
| Dm | F | G | D | Dm | F C | G | D | x2
(bass + guitar solo)
| Dm | F | G | D | Dm | F C | G | D | x2
(Fade out, keep going, whatever!)