Labour
View chords used in this chart
Intro: Am Dm F G
Am Dm
Why are you hanging on?
F
So tight
G
To the road that I'm headed from
Am
Off this island
Dm
This was an escape plan (This was an escape plan)
F
Carefully timed it
G
So that we'd go
And dive into the waves below
Am C
Who tends the orchards?
F
Who fixes up the gables?
E7
Emotional torture
Am
From the head of your high table
C
Who fetches the water?
F
From the rocky mountain spring
E7
And walk back down again?
F
To feel your words and their sharp sting
F
And I'm getting fucking tired
Am C
The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
F G
If our love died, would that be the worst thing?
Am C
For somebody I thought was my saviour
F G
You sure make me do a whole lot of labour
Am C
The callous skin on my hands is cracking
F G
If our love ends, would that be a bad thing?
Am C
And the silence haunts our bed chamber
F G
You make me do too much labour
Am Dm F G
(You make me do
Too much labour)
Am Dm
Apologies for my tone
F
And never yours
G
Busy lapping from a flowing cup
Am
And stabbing with your fork
Dm
I know you're a smart man (I know you're a smart man)
F G
And weaponise the false incompetence
Am
It's dominance under a guise
C
If we had a daughter
F
I'd watch and could not save her
E7
The emotional torture
Am
From the head of your high table
C
She'd do what you taught her
F
She'd meet the same cruel fate
E7
So now I've gotta run
F
So I can undo this mistake
F
At least I've gotta try
Am C
The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
F G
If our love died, would that be the worst thing?
Am C
For somebody I thought was my saviour
F G
You sure make me do a whole lot of labour
Am C
The callous skin on my hands is cracking
F G
If our love ends, would that be a bad thing?
Am C
And the silence haunts our bed chamber
F G
You make me do too much labour
Am
All day, every day
C
Therapist, mother, maid
F
Nymph then a virgin
G
Nurse than a servant
Am C
Just an appendage, live to attend him
F G
So that he never lifts a finger
Am C
Twenty-four-seven baby machine
F G
So he can live out his picket fence dreams
Am C
It's not an act of love if you make her
F G
You make me do too much labour
Am
All day, every day
C
Therapist, mother, maid
F
Nymph then a virgin
G
Nurse than a servant
Am C
Just an appendage, live to attend him
F G
So that he never lifts a finger
Am C
Twenty-four-seven baby machine
F G
So he can live out his picket fence dreams
Am C
It's not an act of love if you make her
F G
You make me do too much labour
Am C
The capillaries in my eyes are bursting
(All day, every day, therapist mother maid)
F G
If our love died, would that be the worst thing?
(Nymph then a virgin, nurse then a servant)
Am C
For somebody I thought was my saviour
(Just an appendage, live to attend him)
F G
You sure make me do a whole lot of labour
(So that he never lifts a finger)
Am C
The callous skin on my hands is cracking
(Twenty-four-seven baby machine)
F G
If our love ends, would that be a bad thing?
(So he can live out his picket fence dreams)
Am C
And the silence haunts our bed chamber
(It's not an act of love if you make her)
F G
You make me do too much labour
How to play Labour
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 Am. 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.