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The Confession

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Bminor

90BPM

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BmThere's nothing as cold as the fAreeze in your soul
  at the Bmmoment when yAou are arreBmsted.
There's noBmthing as real as the iAron and steel
  on the haBmndcuffs whAen you protBmested.
You Drace through the night in the F#prison of fright
  as you Bmhead for the quicksand of qAuestions.
And cBmhildren unborn will sAee you in scorn
  if eBmver you mAake a confBmession.
And the click of a lock is a shiver of shock
  as you wonder what are their objectives.
Upon your guard for the voices are hard
  that belong to the cops and detectives.
And it's hard to believe as they roll up their sleeves
  that you're in for more than a session.
And it couldn't be true and it's not really you
  that they want to make a confession.
You cannot conceal the confussion you feel
  as they steadily work to out-guess you.
And some will pretend they are really your friend
  who rally around to your rescue.
With frightening force your mind is divorced
  to give them the guilty impression.
Every word that you hear is a weapon of fear
  to win the war of confessions.
The lights shoot a glare like bullets they stare
  and burn out the base of conviction.
And you squint and you blink and you try not to think
  of the cobwebs of contridictions.
And your clothes will be wet with the rivers of sweat
  that tells the tale of attention.
And once in awhile the clock has to smile
  as it counts the time of confession.
The questions will rain and pour on your brain
  with the proper speed they are driven.
The circles they pace and the sneer on their face
  tells you no quarter is given.
You can salvage your mind when the paper is signed
  then the crime is solved by oppression.
But win, lose, or draw, it's the rule of the law
  to always work for confession.
And the balance of scales seems distant and pale
  in the shadowy days of the trial.
And sometimes they die; with their name on a lie
  when it's all too late for denial.
When agreement is full the switch must be pulled
  and the chair leaves no hope for correction.
But the chances are large he was guilty as charged
  After all, he made a confession.

All chords in this song (4)

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The Confession

by Phil Ochs

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Bm A

There's nothing as cold as the freeze in your soul

Bm A Bm

at the moment when you are arrested.

Bm A

There's nothing as real as the iron and steel

Bm A Bm

on the handcuffs when you protested.

D F#

You race through the night in the prison of fright

Bm A

as you head for the quicksand of questions.

Bm A

And children unborn will see you in scorn

Bm A Bm

if ever you make a confession.

And the click of a lock is a shiver of shock

as you wonder what are their objectives.

Upon your guard for the voices are hard

that belong to the cops and detectives.

And it's hard to believe as they roll up their sleeves

that you're in for more than a session.

And it couldn't be true and it's not really you

that they want to make a confession.

You cannot conceal the confussion you feel

as they steadily work to out-guess you.

And some will pretend they are really your friend

who rally around to your rescue.

With frightening force your mind is divorced

to give them the guilty impression.

Every word that you hear is a weapon of fear

to win the war of confessions.

The lights shoot a glare like bullets they stare

and burn out the base of conviction.

And you squint and you blink and you try not to think

of the cobwebs of contridictions.

And your clothes will be wet with the rivers of sweat

that tells the tale of attention.

And once in awhile the clock has to smile

as it counts the time of confession.

The questions will rain and pour on your brain

with the proper speed they are driven.

The circles they pace and the sneer on their face

tells you no quarter is given.

You can salvage your mind when the paper is signed

then the crime is solved by oppression.

But win, lose, or draw, it's the rule of the law

to always work for confession.

And the balance of scales seems distant and pale

in the shadowy days of the trial.

And sometimes they die; with their name on a lie

when it's all too late for denial.

When agreement is full the switch must be pulled

and the chair leaves no hope for correction.

But the chances are large he was guilty as charged

After all, he made a confession.

About The Confession Chords by Phil Ochs

Learn how to play The Confession by Phil Ochs with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Confession chords”, “The Confession guitar chords”, or “Phil Ochs The Confession 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 The Confession chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Confession lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Bm, A, D, F#.

FAQ — The Confession by Phil Ochs

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Is "The Confession" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "The Confession" in?

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