[Intro]
(Resonator guitar)
| Cm7 | G# | Fm7 | Fm7 |
| Cm | A#add9 | Gm | Cm |
| Cm | Cm | Cm | Cm |
| Cm | Cm | Cm |
(Piano)
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
(Piano and electric guitar)
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
| C5 | D# A# | F | C |
| C5 | Fm/C | A#sus4 | A# |
[Verse 1]
D# Cm
A long time ago came a man on a track
A# G#
walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
G# A# D# A#
and he put down his load where he thought it was the best
G# Fm7 G# (A#)
He made a home in the wilderness
D# Cm
He built a cabin and a winter store
A# G#
and he ploughed up the ground by the cold lake shore
G# A# D# A#
and the other travellers came walking down the track
G# Fm7 G# (A#)
and they never went further, no, they never went back
D# Cm
Then came the churches then came the schools
A# G#
then came the lawyers then came the rules
G# A# D# A#
Then came the trains and the trucks with their loads
G# (C5)
and the dirty old track was the telegraph road
[Interlude]
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
| C5 | D# A# | F | C |
| C5 | Fm/C | A#sus4 | A# |
[Verse 2]
D# Cm
Then came the mines - then came the ore
A# G#
then there was the hard times then there was a war
G# A# D# A#
Telegraph sang a song about the world outside
G# Fm7 G#
telegraph road got so deep and so wide
G# (D#)
like a rolling river. . .
[Solo]
| D# | Cm | A# | G# | G# A# | D# A# | G# | Fm | Fm G# |
| D# | Cm | A# | G# | G# A# | D# A# | G# | Fm | Fm G# |
| D# | Cm | A# | G# | G# A# | D# A# | G# | G# |
[Interlude]
| Cm | Cm7 | F | C |
| Cm | D# A# | F | C |
[Bridge]
Fm Fm
And my radio says tonight it's gonna freeze
Cm Cm
People driving home from the factories
A#
There's six lanes of traffic
Gm Cm A#
Three lanes moving slow. . .
[Piano solo]
| Cm | G7#5 G7 | G# Dm7b5 | A# D# | Fm A# | D#sus4 D# | Fm D#/G | G# |
[Guitar solo]
| Cm | G7#5 G7 | G# Dm7b5 | A# D# | Fm A# | D#sus4 D# | Fm D#/G | G# G7 |
| Cm | G7#5 G7 | G# Dm7b5 | A# D# | Fm A# | D#sus4 D# | Fm D#/G | G# G7 |
[Piano solo]
| Cm | G/C | G# Dm7b5 | Dm7b5 D# | G# A# | G# D# | Fm D#/G | G# G7 |
| Cm | Cm | A# |
[Verse 3]
A# D# Cm
I used to like to go to work but they shut it down
A# G#
I've got a right to go to work but there's no work here to be found
G# A# D# A#
Yes and they say we're gonna have to pay what's owed
G# Fm7 G# (A#)
We're gonna have to reap from seed that's been sowed
D# Cm
And the birds up on the wires and the telegraph poles
A# G#
They can always fly away from this rain and this cold
G# A# D# A#
You can hear them singing out their telegraph code
G# Cm
all the way down the telegraph road
[Interlude]
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
| C5 | D# A# | F | C |
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C |
| C5 | D# A# | F | C |
[Verse 4]
(C) Cm Cm
You know I'd sooner forget but I remember those nights
A# G#
When life was just a bet on a race between the lights
G# A# D# A#
You had your head on my shoulder, you had your hand in my hair
G# Fm7 (G#)
Now you act a little colder like you don't seem to care
D# Cm
But believe in me baby and I'll take you away
A# G#
From out of this darkness and into the day
G# A# D# A# (D#)
From these rivers of headlights, these rivers of rain
G# A# D# A# (D#)
From the anger that lives on the streets with these names
G# A# D# A# (D#)
'cos I've run every red light on memory lane
G# A# D# A# (D#)
I've seen desperation explode into flames
G# A# D# A#
And I don't wanna see it again. . .
Gm Cm (G#)
From all of these signs saying sorry but we're closed
(G#)
all the way
G# D# A# Cm
G# D# Fm7
G# D# A# Cm
G# D# G# (C5)
down the telegraph road
[Solo]
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C | C5 | D# A# | F | C | x3
(pick up pace)
| C5 | Cm7 | F/C | C | C5 | D# A# | F | C | x3
(band, drums join)
| Cm | D# | F | C | Cm | D# A# | F | C | x7
(piano solo)
| Cm | D# | F | C | Cm | D# A# | F | C | x2
(guitar solo)
| Cm | D# | F | C | Cm | D# A# | F | C | x2
(bass + guitar solo)
| Cm | D# | F | C | Cm | D# A# | F | C | x2
(Fade out, keep going, whatever!)