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A Louse Is Not A Home
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A Louse Is Not A Home (PETER HAMMILL: The Silent Corner, The Empty Stage)
SA#ometFimes Gmit's vD#ery sDcary here; sA#ometFimes Gmit's vD#ery sDad;
sD#ometGmimes D#I thFink I'll disapGmpear; bD#e_tFimes GmI thD#ink I hDave.
ThD#ere's a lFine snGmaking dD#own my mDirror:
spD#lintered glFass dGmistD#orts my fDace,
D#and thGmough thD#e lFight is strong and strGmange
D#it cFan't illuminate the mGmusty cD#orners of this plDace.
ThD#ere is a lFofty, lonely, Lohengrenic castle in thGme clD#oudDs -
[yD#es and ]I drFaw mGmy D#murky meanings thDere,
bD#ut sGmeven years' dD#ark lFuck is just arGmound the corner
D#and in the shFadows lurks Gmthe spD#ectre of DDespair.
DmA cracked mirror mid the drapes of the landing:
Csplit image, labored understanding -
A#I'm only trying to find a plAace to hide my hDmome...
[trumpet-like:] Dm C Dm Dm C Dm Dm C D
[Bass-Drums:] G Am C Am, G Am C D Am [twice, with different timings] x 2
GI've lAmived in hCouses composed Amof glass
Gwhere Amevery mCovement Dis chAmarted,
Gbut nAmow the mConitor screens Amare dark
Gand AmI can't tell if sCilent Deyes are thAmere.
GMy wAmords are sCpiders upon the pAmage,
Gthey sAmpin out faCith, hoDpe and reAmason
Gbut aAmre they mCeet and just, or only dDust gatheCring abDout my
chair?
A#Sometimes I get the fAeeling that there's
someone else thDmere :
DmThe faceless watcher [he] makes me uneasy,
CI can feel him through the floorboards, and His presence is creepy
A#He informs me that AI shall be expDmelled...
WDmhat is that but out of and into :
[CI] don't know the nature of the door that I'd go through,
[AmI] don't know the nature of the nature that I am inA#side...
GI've lAmived in hCouses of brick Amand lead
Gwhere Amall emotiCon is sDacred,Am
Gand if Amyou want Cto devour the Amfruit
Gyou muAmst first Csniff at Dthe frAmagrance
(same tune and chords, with more intermediate notes played)
Gand laAmy your boCdy before the sAmhrine
Gwith pAmoems and Cposies aDnd papeAmrs -
Gor, if Amyou catcCh the ruse, youAm'll have to choose
Cto stay, a moDnk, or leCave, a Dvagrant.
WA#hat is this place yAou call home?
DmIs it a sermon or a confession?
CIs it the chalice that you use for protection?
A#Is it really only soAmewhere you can stay?
DmIs it a rule-book or a lecture?
CIs it a beating at the hands of your Protector?
A#Does the idol have fAeet of clay?
DmHome is what you make it, so my friends all say,
Cbut dont't you know I rarely see their hBmomes in these dark days.
DmSome of them are snails and carry houses on their backs;
Cothers live in monuments whBmich, one day, will be racks -
Dm C A#(G AA#)
I keep my home in place with sellotape and tin-tacks,
A#but I still feel there's Amsome other Force hDmere:
F Em(4-0)
He who cracks the mirrors and moves the walls
Dmkeeps staring through the eye-slits of the portraits in my hall;
F Em(4-0)
He ravages my library and taps the telephone -
DmI've never actually seen Him,
but I know He's in my home
D#and if he gFoes away,
GmI can't stD#ay here Deither.
D# F Gm D# D D#...
I believe - er - I think - well, I don't know...
[Here, I only catch notes, not the chords]
I only live in one room at a time,
but all of the walls are ears, andall the windows, eyes :
Everything else is foreign,
'Home' is my wordless chant:
mmmmmaah!
Give it a chance!
GI am sAmurrounded Cby flesh and bAmone,
GI am a Amtemple Cof liDving,Am
GI am a Amhermit, CI am a drAmone,
Gand I Amam boninCg out a pDlace to Ambe.
GWith sAmecret garClands about my Amhead
GuneartAmhly silCence iDs broAmken:
Gthe roAmom is groCwing dark, and Amin the stark light
CI can sDee a fCace I kDnow -
A#could this be the gAuy who never shDmows
Dmthe cracked mirror what he's feeling,
Cmerely mumbles prayers to the ground where he's kneeling :
A#"Home is home is home is home is home is
Ahouse is house is house is] home is Dmme!"
DmAll you people looking for your houses,
Cdon't throw your weight around, you might break your glasses
aA#nd if you do, you knAow you just can't Dmsee
Dmand then how are you to find the dawning of the day?
C- Day is just a word I use Bmto keep the dark at bay,
Dmand people are imaginary, nothing else exists
Cexcept the room I'm sitting in,
and, of cBmourse, the all-pervading mist -
Dm C A#(Em C) Dm
sometimes I wonder if even that's real...
D#MaybFe EmI shD#ould de-lDouse this place;
D#MaybFe EmI shD#ould de-place this loDuse;
D#MaybGme D#I'll mFaybe my life awGmay
D#in the cFonfines Gmof this sD#ilent hDouse.
SD#ometFimes Gm D#it's very scDary here; sD#ometFimes Gm D#it's vDery sad;
D# Gm D# F Gm D# F Gm D#... D
sometimes I think I'll disappear; sometimes I think...
Credit to: Jose Javier Glaria at Hammill.ru
All chords in this song (12)
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A Louse Is Not A Home
by Peter Hammill
Chords in this song · guitar
A#
F
Gm
D#
D
Dm
C
A
G
Am
Bm
Em
A Louse Is Not A Home (PETER HAMMILL: The Silent Corner, The Empty Stage)
A# F Gm D# D A# F Gm D# D
Sometimes it's very scary here; sometimes it's very sad;
D# Gm D# F Gm D# F Gm D# D
sometimes I think I'll disappear; be_times I think I have.
D# F Gm D# D
There's a line snaking down my mirror:
D# F Gm D# D
splintered glass distorts my face,
D# Gm D# F Gm
and though the light is strong and strange
D# F Gm D# D
it can't illuminate the musty corners of this place.
D# F Gm D# D
There is a lofty, lonely, Lohengrenic castle in the clouds -
D# F Gm D# D
[yes and ]I draw my murky meanings there,
D# Gm D# F Gm
but seven years' dark luck is just around the corner
D# F Gm D# D
and in the shadows lurks the spectre of Despair.
Dm
A cracked mirror mid the drapes of the landing:
C
split image, labored understanding -
A# A Dm
I'm only trying to find a place to hide my home...
Dm C Dm Dm C Dm Dm C D
[trumpet-like:]
[Bass-Drums:] G Am C Am, G Am C D Am [twice, with different timings] x 2
G Am C Am
I've lived in houses composed of glass
G Am C D Am
where every movement is charted,
G Am C Am
but now the monitor screens are dark
G Am C D Am
and I can't tell if silent eyes are there.
G Am C Am
My words are spiders upon the page,
G Am C D Am
they spin out faith, hope and reason
G Am C D C D
but are they meet and just, or only dust gathering about my
chair?
A# A
Sometimes I get the feeling that there's
Dm
someone else there :
Dm
The faceless watcher [he] makes me uneasy,
C
I can feel him through the floorboards, and His presence is creepy
A# A Dm
He informs me that I shall be expelled...
Dm
What is that but out of and into :
C
[I] don't know the nature of the door that I'd go through,
Am A#
[I] don't know the nature of the nature that I am inside...
G Am C Am
I've lived in houses of brick and lead
G Am C D Am
where all emotion is sacred,
G Am C Am
and if you want to devour the fruit
G Am C D Am
you must first sniff at the fragrance
(same tune and chords, with more intermediate notes played)
G Am C Am
and lay your body before the shrine
G Am C D Am
with poems and posies and papers -
G Am C Am
or, if you catch the ruse, you'll have to choose
C D C D
to stay, a monk, or leave, a vagrant.
A# A
What is this place you call home?
Dm
Is it a sermon or a confession?
C
Is it the chalice that you use for protection?
A# A
Is it really only somewhere you can stay?
Dm
Is it a rule-book or a lecture?
C
Is it a beating at the hands of your Protector?
A# A
Does the idol have feet of clay?
Dm
Home is what you make it, so my friends all say,
C Bm
but dont't you know I rarely see their homes in these dark days.
Dm
Some of them are snails and carry houses on their backs;
C Bm
others live in monuments which, one day, will be racks -
Dm C A# A
(G A#)
I keep my home in place with sellotape and tin-tacks,
A# Am Dm
but I still feel there's some other Force here:
F Em
(4-0)
He who cracks the mirrors and moves the walls
Dm
keeps staring through the eye-slits of the portraits in my hall;
F Em
(4-0)
He ravages my library and taps the telephone -
Dm
I've never actually seen Him,
but I know He's in my home
D# F
and if he goes away,
Gm D# D
I can't stay here either.
D# F Gm D# D D#
...
I believe - er - I think - well, I don't know...
[Here, I only catch notes, not the chords]
I only live in one room at a time,
and
but all of the walls are ears, all the windows, eyes :
Everything else is foreign,
'Home' is my wordless chant:
mmmmmaah!
Give it a chance!
G Am C Am
I am surrounded by flesh and bone,
G Am C D Am
I am a temple of living,
G Am C Am
I am a hermit, I am a drone,
G Am C D Am
and I am boning out a place to be.
G Am C Am
With secret garlands about my head
G Am C D Am
unearthly silence is broken:
G Am C Am
the room is growing dark, and in the stark light
C D C D
I can see a face I know -
A# A Dm
could this be the guy who never shows
Dm
the cracked mirror what he's feeling,
C
merely mumbles prayers to the ground where he's kneeling :
A#
"Home is home is home is home is home is
A Dm
house is house is house is] home is me!"
Dm
All you people looking for your houses,
C
don't throw your weight around, you might break your glasses
A# A Dm
and if you do, you know you just can't see
Dm
and then how are you to find the dawning of the day?
C Bm
- Day is just a word I use to keep the dark at bay,
Dm
and people are imaginary, nothing else exists
C
except the room I'm sitting in,
Bm
and, of course, the all-pervading mist -
Dm C A# Dm
(Em C)
sometimes I wonder if even that's real...
D# F Em D# D
Maybe I should de-louse this place;
D# F Em D# D
Maybe I should de-place this louse;
D# Gm D# F Gm
Maybe I'll maybe my life away
D# F Gm D# D
in the confines of this silent house.
D# F Gm D# D D# F Gm D# D
Sometimes it's very scary here; sometimes it's very sad;
D# Gm D# F Gm D# F Gm D# D
...
sometimes I think I'll disappear; sometimes I think...
Credit to: Jose Javier Glaria at Hammill.ru
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About A Louse Is Not A Home Chords by Peter Hammill
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