Lori McKenna - The Balladeer

[Verse 1]
G
The balladeer waits in the wings,
Em
Tugging on her dress, tuning her strings.
Am
All her whiskey faded cigarette blown dreams,
G
She brings herself to her own knees,
D
with every line so delicate.

[Verse 2]
G
She sings every song that she knows.
Em
The way that she hears ’em, sad and slow.
Am
They’re never gonna play her on the radio.
G
So she hangs in the darkest bars
D
with downtrodden bleeding hearts.

[Verse 3]
G
A guitar man there who knew all the chords.
Bm
Said he needed her to help him find the words.
Am
The balladeer never loved anybody more.
G
It was magic but she worried,
D
what if she ran out of the pain…

[Verse 4]
G
She carried round with her, so proud.
Bm
She wore it like a queen wears a crown.
Am
She didn’t know who she’d be if she put it down.
G
So he brought her to the river
D
where she could wash the trouble…

[Verse 5]
Dm
From her heart and let it shine like gold.
Bb
Felt like angels pouring mercy on her soul.
Am
And the weight of the world, she let it go.
G
And she sang for the first time
D
with her head held high and so much pride.

[Verse 6]
G
It opened up new notes in her throat.
Em
There was joy in every new song she wrote.
Am
They got a bus and traveled coast to coast.
G
Drinking with their friends and strangers
D
and business people called to say.

[Verse 7]
G
That she was finally headed for the stars,
Em
Or at least the top of the charts.
Am
They changed her clothes and bought fancy cars.
G
Till the guitar man caught the eye
D G
of a pretty background singer with the bluuuuuuessss…
Em Am G D G Em Am G D
Oh, oh, oh…

[Verse 8]
G
The guitar man cried ’cause he done her wrong.
Em
The background singer took the next flight home.
Am
And the balladeer wrote herself a song,
G D
About brokenhearted dreamers who are searching
G
for something they’ll never fiiiiiiinnnnd……..
Am G D G Em Am G D G
mmm, mmm…