Verse 1
   F        Gm        Bb 
Kentucky coal dust canary 
   F          Gm          F         Gm 
The darker the mine, the later I realized 
   F           Gm           Bb 
The sleep in the cage I once carried 
   F          Gm            Bb           Gm 
Was kissed into death by the hot cigar breath of 
   C 
UnCommonwealthy bastards in their 
  Bb 
Mothball polyester jackets 
  C 
Closing all the doors to to keep the 
  Bb 
Fresh air from the children sleeping 
  Gm              Gm7 
Through another school day 
           Bb 
Teachers tearing down the Capitol 
 
Chorus
       F 
While I lie in the bluegrass 
 Bb              Gm7 
Am I deaf to the call 
         Bb 
Oh, the red birds of autumn 
 F                             Bb        Gm 
Curse me the good-hearted boy who did nothing at all 
           Bb 
While the governor shot them 
F       Gm     Bb 
One by one by one 
F       Gm     Bb 
One by one by one 
 
Refrain
F Gm Bb x5 
 
Verse 2
F             Bb        F 
Desperate November come creeping 
   Bb       Gm          Bb     Gm 
A hospital bill for a miracle pill 
 F                Gm            Bb 
But I know I’ll remember the feeling 
 F                 Gm      F          Bb 
The look on your face of transitional phases 
C 
winter into spring awoken 
 Bb 
Voted out the tribe has spoken 
 C 
Dancing now for future rain 
 Bb 
The fields are growing green again 
 Gm 
The table’s set the wine is poured 
 Bb 
And I’m too tickled pink to ask for more 
 
Chorus
      F           Bb 
As I lay in the bluegrass 
 F                 Gm7 
Whistling along with the call 
         Bb 
Oh, the red birds of autumn 
 F          Bb            F     Gm 
Up from the nest altogether, divided they fall 
          Bb 
Sing ‘We got him, we got him’ 
 F      Gm     Bb 
One by one by one 
 
F Gm Bb fades out