Gulf Winds
Joan Baez
Ton : D
Intro : D D9
It'Ds only when the high winds blow that I wiEmsh my hair was long
SaiCling through the autumn Cleaves singDing an aD9ncienDt song
Or Dfalling in love in the streets at night at the eEmdge of a local square
It's Conly that I'm here GtonighDt thinkD9ing ID was there
TheDre are high winds on the pier tonight my sEmoul departs from me
StrCiding like Thalia'sG ghost soDuth on D9the mDurky sea
AndD into midnight's tapestry she faEmdes ragged and wild
SeaCrching down her ancestry Gin the costumDe of a PD9ersiaDn chiD4ld
AndD gulf winds bring me flying fish that shBmine in the crescent moon
ShoAw me the horizon where the dGawn will break a neDw
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the hBmeron are flying low
EchAo the songs my fatheGr knew Din the tDowns D9of Mexico
When I was young my eyes were wise my father was good to me
Instead of having a flock of sons he had two other girls and me
And if we had used our Spanish names here's the way they'd run
Thalia Margarita and Juanita I'm the middle one.
The screen door kept the demons in as we moved from town to town
It's hard to be a princess in the States when your skin is brown
And mama smoothed my worried brow as I leaned on the kitchen door
Why do you carry the weight she said of the world and maybe more?
AndD gulf winds bring me flying fish that shBmine in the crescent moon
ShoAw me the horizon where the dGawn will break a neDw
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the hBmeron are flying low
EchAo the songs my fatheGr knew Din the tDowns D9of Mexico
My grandfathers were ministers and it came on down the line
My father preached in his parents' church when he was ten years and nine
And mama dressed in parishoners' clothes and didn't believe in hell
Her daddy fought the DAR if he'd lived I'd have known him well
They said go find a Sunday School we must have tried them all
I never stole from the silver plate my sisters had more gall
One preacher said sing out loud and clear it's the only life you've got
And the next one said be good on earth you've another life at the feet of God
AndD gulf winds bring me flying fish that shBmine in the crescent moon
ShoAw me the horizon where the dGawn will break a neDw
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the hBmeron are flying low
EchAo the songs my fatheGr knew Din the tDowns D9of Mexico
My father turned down many a job just to give us something real
It's hard to be a scientist in the States when you've got ideals
And mama kept the budget book she kept the garden too
Bought fish from the man on Thursday fed all of us and strangers too
But time will pass and so alas will most of what we know
Though tonight my memory's eye is clear as the story's being told
And I'll play ball with the underdog and sit with the child who's wrong
Be still when the earth is silent and sing when my strength is gone
AndD gulf winds bring me flying fish that shBmine in the crescent moon
ShoAw me the horizon where the dGawn will break a neDw
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the hBmeron are flying low
EchAo the songs my fatheGr knew Din the tDowns D9of Mexico
Now father's going to India sometime in the fall
They tried to stay together but you just can't do it all
I'll think about him if he goes there's a little grey in his hair
Though not much because he's Mexican they don't age they just prepare
And if he goes to India I'll miss him most of all
He'll see me in the mudlarks' face hear me in the beggar's call
And mama will stay home I guess and worry if she did wrong
And I'll say a prayer for both of them and sing them both my song
AndD gulf winds bring me flying fish that shBmine in the crescent moon
ShoAw me the horizon where the dGawn will break a neDw
And cool me here on this lonely pier where the hBmeron are flying low
EchAo the songs my fatheGr knew Din the tDowns D9of Mexico