The Mayor Of Candor Lied Chords & Lyrics - Harry Chapin

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[VERSE 1]
In the li[F]ttle town of Candor in the l[C]ast year of my youth
I lea[G]rned the final lesson of the le[Bb]vels to the truth
My fa[F]ther was a farmer, he'd go ti[C]llin' in the ground
My mo[G]ther was a neighbor, she'd go v[Bb]isit[Am]ing ar[Dm]ound

But I di[C]dn't care
For I had found the answer to a pl[Dm]owboys lonely prayer
S[C]he was the da[Am]ughter of the M[Dm]ayor

The Ma[F]yor fought my courtship for h[C]e'd made other plans
He saw her mar[G]ried to a better man than a b[Bb]oy with farmer's hands
I s[F]aid I hate your father, it's [C]so hard not to strike him
She s[G]aid you know I love you bec[Bb]ause you're [Am]so much l[Dm]ike him

And [Dm]so I'd go sneaking in the eve[C]ning
And t[Em]here she'd stand a crying in the d[Am]awn as I was l[F]eavi[Fmaj7]ng [Am] [D]

[CHORUS]
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor lied
When he off[G]ered me his only daughter
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor tried
To t[G]ake her off across the water
W[Bb]hat a thing to do to a yo[G]ung man in love
And w[Bb]hat a thing to do to your dau[Dm]ghter

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[VERSE 2]
One day with fa[F]ther on his tractor and mo[C]ther off again
I [G]go to find the Mayor to w[Bb]ork out what I can
But he [F]is not at his office, he [C]is not at his home
When I f[G]ind him in the countryside [Bb]he is [Am]not a[Dm]lone

He's ho[Dm]lding a woman and ima[C]gine my surprise
As she j[Em]umps back from his arms I look i[Am]nto my mother's e[F]yes

The Mayor of Candor Lied!

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A[F]ll my thoughts of outrage, embarr[C]assment and pain
Were wa[G]shed away but what then went roa[Bb]ring through my brain
The Ma[F]yor's at my mercy and I h[C]ear my own voice say
Your r[G]un for re-election is o[Bb]ne m[Am]onth a[Dm]way
And the w[Dm]orld will never know of what I've s[C]een here Sir
But I[Em]'ll be with your daughter is my me[Am]aning cl[F]ear [Fmaj7]Sir? [Am] [D]

[CHORUS]
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor lied
When he off[G]ered me his only daughter
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor tried
To t[G]ake her off across the water
W[Bb]hat a thing to do to a yo[G]ung man in love
And w[Bb]hat a thing to do to your dau[Dm]ghter

My mo[F]ther looks in horror at this comp[C]romise we made
But the Ma[G]yor's rueful smile says this pi[Bb]per must be paid
I had a mo[F]nth of joy in heaven from this d[C]eal I'd made in Hell
What was to hap[G]pen then my friend a prop[Bb]het could n[Am]ot te[Dm]ll

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[VERSE 3]
The [Dm]day after his re-election and the victory [Am/C]celebratio[C]n
The M[Em]ayor takes his family on a m[Am]onth long foreign[Dsus4] vacatio[Dm]n

Oh Co[Dm]leen, you know how much I l[C]ove you
T[Em]here is no one I'd e[Am]ver place ab[F]ove you [F] [C/E]
Oh Co[Dm]lleen, you don't even k[C]now me
To h[Em]ave you there's nothing that's b[Am]elow [F]me [C/E]
([Dm]but time)
But t[F]ime always passes after a[C]ll
And as the S[Em]ummer follows S[Em/D]pring, so does the W[Am]inter follow F[F]all

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[VERSE 4]
The d[F]ay that they returned, I stand wai[C]ting in the road
I wa[G]tch the car drive up, I watch the pass[Bb]engers unload
Of co[F]urse she isn't there, of co[C]urse I should have known
The Ma[G]yor says that she has stayed, the dec[Bb]ision [Am]is her [Dm]own

He says she's fin[Dm]ishing her schooling on that un[C]seen foreign shore
And I'll t[Em]ell you very frankly boy, yo[Am]u'll not s[F]ee her any [Fmaj7]more

[CHORUS]
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor lied
When he off[G]ered me his only daughter
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor tried
To t[G]ake her off across the water
W[Bb]hat a thing to do to a yo[G]ung man in love
And w[Bb]hat a thing to do to your dau[Dm]ghter

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[VERSE 4]
[F]I spit out my hatred and my f[C]ury at his lies
When he s[G]ays you tried to blackmail me you're j[Bb]ust as bad as I
[F]Go on and do your damndest, th[C]row your mother to the streets
You k[G]now it's been too many years I h[Bb]ad to [Am]be dis[Dm]creet

And [Dm]as he stands there saying we're just t[C]wo of a kind
It h[G]its me like a thunderbolt expl[Bb]oding [Am]in my m[Dm]ind

[Dm]As I look into his leering aged wrinkled mirror of my own face
[Em]He laughs and sneers and says - of course dear son
Where do you think you came from in the first p[Dm]lace?

[CHORUS]
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor lied
When he off[G]ered me his only daughter
The M[Dm]ayor of Candor tried
To t[G]ake her off across the water
W[Bb]hat a thing to do to a yo[G]ung man in love
And w[Bb]hat a thing to do to your dau[Dm]ghter

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