The Story Of Isaac
View chords used in this chart
Am F Am F
The door it opened slowly, my father he came in
G F E
I was nine years old
Am F Am F
And he stood so tall above me, blue eyes they were shining
G F E
And his voice was very cold
C C/G C C/G
He said, "I've had a vision and you know I'm strong and holy
D C B
I must do what I've been told"
F Bb F Bb
So he started up the mountain, I was running, he was walking
F G A
And his axe was made of gold
Well, the trees they got much smaller, the lake a lady's mirror
We stopped to drink some wine
Then he threw the bottle ove, broke a minute later
And he put his hand on mine
Thought I saw an eagle but it might have been a vulture
I never could decide
Then my father built an altar,he looked once behind his shoulder
He knew I would not hide
You who build these altars now to sacrifice these children
You must not do it anymore
A scheme is not a vision and you never have been tempted
By a demon or a god
You who stand above them now, your hatchets blunt and bloody
You were not there before
When I lay upon a mountain and my father's hand was trembling
With the beauty of the word
And if you call me brother now, forgive me if I inquire
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust I will kill you if I must
I will help you if I can
When it all comes down to dust I will help you if I must
I will kill you if I can
And mercy on our uniform, man of peace or man of war
The peacock spreads his fan
NOTE: use the standard Cohen picking style (see Winter Lady)
(from Songs From a Room, 1968)
(sent by Harlan at harlant@hawaii.edu)
How to play The Story Of Isaac
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.