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Cousin Jack

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[Verse 1]
F#mThis land is barren and Dbroken
EScarred like the face of the AmoonE  
F#mOur tongue is no longer C#mspoken
DTowns all around face Eruin
F#mWill there be work in New DBrunswick
EWill I find gold in the ACapeE  
If I F#mtunnel way down to AusC#mtralia
DOh, will I ever esEcape
[Chorus]
AWhere there’s a mine or a Ehole in the ground
F#mThat’s what I’m heading for, Dthat’s where I’m bound
So Elook for me under the Alode and Einside the DveinE  
Where the Acopper, the clay, the Earsenic and tin
F#mRun in your blood and Dunder your skin
EI’ll leave the county beAhind, I’m Enot coming Dback
Oh, Efollow me Ddown cousin F#mJack
[Verse 2]
The F#msoil is too poor to make DEden
EGranite and sea left no AchoiceE  
Though F#mvisions of heaven susC#mtained us
When DJohn Wesley gave us a Evoice
Did F#mJoseph once come to St DMichael’s Mount
Two Ethousand years pass in a AdreamE  
When you’re F#mworking your way in the C#mdarkness
DDeep in the heart of the Eseam
[Chorus]
AWhere there’s a mine or a Ehole in the ground
F#mThat’s what I’m heading for, Dthat’s where I’m bound
ELook for me under the Alode and Einside the DveinE  
Where the Acopper, the clay, the Earsenic and tin
F#mRun in your blood and get Dunder your skin
EI’ll leave the county beAhind, I’m Enot coming Dback
Oh, Efollow me dDown cousin F#mJack
[Verse 3]
I F#mdream of a bridge on the TDamar
It Eopens us up to the AeastE  
And the F#mEnglish live in our C#mhouses
The DSpanish fish in these Eseas
[Chorus]
AWhere there’s a mine or a Ehole in the ground
F#mThat’s what I’m heading for, Dthat’s where I’m bound
ELook for me under the Alode and Einside the DveinE  
Where the Acopper, the clay, the Earsenic and tin
F#mRun in your blood and get Dunder your skin
EI’ll leave the county beAhind, I’m Enot coming Dback
Oh, Efollow me Ddown cousin F#mJack
EFollow me Ddown cousin F#mJack
EFollow me Ddown cousin F#mJack
So Efollow me DdownF#m  

All chords in this song (5)

The story behind the song

"Cousin Jack" tells a poignant story of hardship and the desperate hope for a new beginning. It paints a picture of a "barren and broken" land where the "soil is too poor to make Eden," driving someone to seek escape and encourage others to "follow me down" to a better future. This song embodies the spirit of Show of Hands, known for their powerful narratives that often use historical settings to reflect on contemporary struggles, giving voice to the rural poor. It's a journey of leaving behind a difficult past for the promise of something more.

AI-written from these sources:Show of Hands — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

Cousin Jack

Cousin Jack

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Cousin Jack

by Show of Hands

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

C#m

[Verse 1]

F#m D

This land is barren and broken

E A E

Scarred like the face of the moon

F#m C#m

Our tongue is no longer spoken

D E

Towns all around face ruin

F#m D

Will there be work in New Brunswick

E A E

Will I find gold in the Cape

F#m C#m

If I tunnel way down to Australia

D E

Oh, will I ever escape

[Chorus]

A E

Where there’s a mine or a hole in the ground

F#m D

That’s what I’m heading for, that’s where I’m bound

E A E D E

So look for me under the lode and inside the vein

A E

Where the copper, the clay, the arsenic and tin

F#m D

Run in your blood and under your skin

E A E D

I’ll leave the county behind, I’m not coming back

E D F#m

Oh, follow me down cousin Jack

[Verse 2]

F#m D

The soil is too poor to make Eden

E A E

Granite and sea left no choice

F#m C#m

Though visions of heaven sustained us

D E

When John Wesley gave us a voice

F#m D

Did Joseph once come to St Michael’s Mount

E A E

Two thousand years pass in a dream

F#m C#m

When you’re working your way in the darkness

D E

Deep in the heart of the seam

[Chorus]

A E

Where there’s a mine or a hole in the ground

F#m D

That’s what I’m heading for, that’s where I’m bound

E A E D E

Look for me under the lode and inside the vein

A E

Where the copper, the clay, the arsenic and tin

F#m D

Run in your blood and get under your skin

E A E D

I’ll leave the county behind, I’m not coming back

E D F#m

Oh, follow me down cousin Jack

[Verse 3]

F#m D

I dream of a bridge on the Tamar

E A E

It opens us up to the east

F#m C#m

And the English live in our houses

D E

The Spanish fish in these seas

[Chorus]

A E

Where there’s a mine or a hole in the ground

F#m D

That’s what I’m heading for, that’s where I’m bound

E A E D E

Look for me under the lode and inside the vein

A E

Where the copper, the clay, the arsenic and tin

F#m D

Run in your blood and get under your skin

E A E D

I’ll leave the county behind, I’m not coming back

E D F#m

Oh, follow me down cousin Jack

E D F#m

Follow me down cousin Jack

E D F#m

Follow me down cousin Jack

E D F#m

So follow me down

About Cousin Jack Chords by Show of Hands

Learn how to play Cousin Jack by Show of Hands with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Cousin Jack chords”, “Cousin Jack guitar chords”, or “Show of Hands Cousin Jack chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Cousin Jack chords and for experienced players who want accurate Cousin Jack lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include F#m, D, E, A, C#m.

FAQ — Cousin Jack by Show of Hands

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Can I transpose "Cousin Jack" to a different key?

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Can I see chord diagrams for "Cousin Jack"?

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Is "Cousin Jack" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Cousin Jack" in?

The chords for "Cousin Jack" show the original chord names (including F#m, D, E, A, C#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.