The Butcher
View chords used in this chart
/ E / E /
/ E / E /
E
I came upon a butcher,
A
he was slaughtering a lamb,
E
I accused him there
B7
with his tortured lamb.
E
He said "Listen to me, child,
A
I am what I am
E B7 A
and you, you are my only son."
/ E /
E
Well, I found a silver needle,
A
I put it into my arm.
E
It did some good,
B7
did some harm.
E
But the nights were cold
A
and it almost kept me warm,
E B7 A
how come the night is long?
/ E /
E
I saw some flowers growing up
A
where that lamb fell down;
E
was I supposed to praise my Lord,
B7
make some kind of joyful sound?
E
He said, "Listen, listen to me now,
A
I go round and round
E B7 A
and you, you are my only child."
/ E /
E
Do not leave me now,
A
do not leave me now,
E
I'm broken down
B7
from a recent fall.
E
Blood upon my body
A
and ice upon my soul,
E B7 A
lead on, my son, it is your world.
/ E / E /
How to play The Butcher
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 E. 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.