My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist Chords & Lyrics - Decemberists

[INTRO]
[Am] [Am/E] [Am] [Am]/[E] (x4)

[Am]My mother[Am/E] was a chi[C]nese tr[D]apeze artis[G]t
In [Em]pre-war P[D]aris
[Am] [D] [B] [Em] Emadd9 [Em]
Smuggling bombs for the underground.
[Am]And she met my f[D]ather
At a f[B]ete in Aix-en-Pro[C]vence.
He was d[Cadd9]isguised as a Russian c[D]adet
[Em] Emadd9 [Em]
in the employ of the Axis.
And t[C]here in the half-light
Of the[C] provincial midnight
To a l[G]one concertina
They d[G]rank in cantinas
And to[C]asted to Edith Pi[D]af
[Em] Emadd9 [Em]
And the fall of the Reich.

[C] [D] [Am]

[Am]My sister was b[Am/E]orn in a h[C]ovel in [D]Burgundy[G]
And le[Em]ft for the c[D]attle
[Am] [D] [B] [Em] Emadd9 [Em]
But later was found by a communist
[Am]Who'd deserted his [D]ranks
To fol[B]low his dr[C]eam
[Cadd9] [D] [Em] Emadd9 [Em]
To start up a punk rock band in South Carolina.
I [C]get letters sometimes.
Th[C]ey bought a plantation
She [G]weeds the tobacco
He o[G]ffends the nation
And they write, &[C]quot;Don't be a strang[D]er, y'hear."
[Em] Emadd9 [Em]
"Sincerely, your sister."

[C] [D] [Am]

[Am]So my par[Am/E]ents had me
To the disgust [C]of the [D]prostitutes[G]
On a be[Em]d in a br[D]othel.
[Am] [D] [B] [Em] Emadd9 [Em]
Surprisingly raised with tender care
[Am]'Til the money got t[D]ight
And they [B]bet me awa[C]y
To a blind[Cadd9] brigadier in a ga[D]me
[Em] Emadd9 [Em]
Of high stakes canasta.
But he [C]made me a sailor
On his [C]brigadier ship fleet.
I k[G]now every yardarm
From ma[G]in mast to jib sheet.
But [C]sometimes I long to be [D]landlocked
And to work in a ba[C]kery.
Ahhh[Em]hh Ahhh[C]hh Ahhh[Em]hh

[C] [D] [Am]

Listen to the recording for the rhythms. I love this song. Hope you do too.