Jack's Lament
View chords used in this chart
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
There are few who would deny at what I do I am the best
G F# G A Bm
For my talents are renowned far and wide.
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm6 A
When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night
G F# G Bm
I accel without ever even trying.
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
With the slightest little effort of my ghostlike charm
G F# G Am Bm
I've seen grown men give out a shriek
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
With a wave of my hand and a well placed moan
G F# G Am Bm
I have swept the very bravest off their feet.
G F# G F#
Yet year after year, it's the same old cheer
G F# Em A7
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams
Bm Bmmaj7 A G F#
And I, Jack, the Pump-kin King
G F# G F#
Have grown so tired of the same old thing
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones
G F# Em F#
An emptiness began to grow
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
There's something out there, far from my home
G F# F# Bm2
A longing that I've never known
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light
G F# G Am Bm
And I'll scare you right out of your pants
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky
G F# G Bm
And I'm known throughout England and France
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
And since I am dead, I can take off my head
G F# G Am Bm
To recite Shakespearean quotations
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
No animal nor man can scream like I can
G F# G Bm
With the fury of my recitations
G F# G F#
But who here would ever understand
G F# Em A7
That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin
Bm Bmmaj7 A A G F#
Would tire of his crown, if they only understood
G F# G F#
He'd give it all up if he only could
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
Oh, there's an empty place in my bones
G F# Em A
That calls out for something unknown
Bm Bmmaj7 Bm7 A
The fame and praise come year after year
G F# F#7 Bm2
Does nothing for these empty tears
How to play Jack's Lament
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Bm. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.