G

[VERSE 1]

            G                                     Em
She'd been coughing up blood since the dogwoods bloomed
 C                            D            Em
Seventeen that spring and confined to her room 
    G                                    Em
At night her heart pounded against her chest
  C                       D           Em
Death, like a bird, was building its nest

[CHORUS]

     D                     Am
And so, on the last day of her short life, 
C                     G
Emily called for her father's penknife
     D                           Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair 
      C                       Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear

[VERSE 2]

       G                                      Em
She'd laughed at the graveyard on one sip of wine 
     C                        D                Em
and kept a pet duck till the cat crushed its spine
      G                                   Em
But, waltzing one night in a red velvet dress, 
     C                   D           Em
she noticed a whistling down in her chest

[CHORUS]

     D                     Am
And so, on the last day of her short life, 
C                     G
Emily called for her father's penknife
     D                           Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair 
      C                       Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear

[VERSE 3]

  G                                          Em
Propped up on pillows, she watched the snow fall, 
 C                    D        Em
trying to picture an end to it all
      G                                    Em
By spring there'd be picnics and merry-go-rounds, 
 C                        D             Em
but she'd be nothing but bones in the ground

[CHORUS]

     D                     Am
And so, on the last day of her short life, 
C                     G
Emily called for her father's penknife
     D                           Am
She sawed at her head till the floor pooled with hair 
      C                       Em
and braided a watch chain for father to wear