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"The Calm Before The Storm"
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album _Nothing But The Truth_
(Ruben Blades, 1988)

written by Lou Reed/Ruben Blades

Lou Reed:
co-arrangement, co-produce,
guitar, background vocals

(Mike Rathke:
guitar, background vocals)
================================


        There was a time when ignorance made
        our innocence strong
        There was a time when we all thought
        we could do no wrong
        There was a time, so long ago
        there was a time
        But here we are in the calm before the storm

        While the orchestra plays, they build barricades
        to help close the doors
        While the musician sings, the holocaust rings
        cymbals of war
        In the cities we stare at the things that were there
        and no longer are and in our hearts
        Here we are again in the calm before the storm, oh

        There was a time when we had an idea
        whose time hadn't come
        They kept changing its name, so we could still pretend
        it was not really gone
        We heard our screams turn into song
        and back into screams again and here we are again
        Here we are in the calm before the storm, oh

        Here we are, here we are
        in the calm before the storm
        Here we are, here we are
        in the calm before the storm
        Here we are, here we are
        in the calm before the storm
        Here we are, here we are
        in the calm before the storm, hey
        Here we are, here, here we are, here
        in the calm before the storm
        Here we are, here, here we are
        in the calm before the storm
        Here we are, here we are
        in the calm before the storm
        ....



                       (There was a -)
        {G}{C}{G}{G}   (- time when ignorance made ...)
        {G}{C}{D}{D}   (- time when we all thought ...)
        {G}{C}{G}{C}   (-  time, so long ago ...)
        {G}{D}{G}{G}   (- are in the calm before the storm ...)

        {G}{C}{G}{G}   (- plays, they build barricades ...)
        {G}{C}{D}{D}   (- sings, the holocaust rings ...)
        {G}{C}{G}{C}   (- we stare at the things that were ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are again in the calm before the ...)

sax.    {G}{C}{G}{G}
        {G}{C}{D}{D}
        {G}{C}{G}{C}
        {G}{D}{G}{G}   (There was a -)

        {G}{C}{G}{G}   (- time when we had an idea ...)
        {G}{C}{D}{D}   (- name, so we could still pretend ...)
        {G}{C}{G}{C}   (- screams turn into song ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are in the calm before the storm ...)

        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here we are, in the calm before ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here we are, in the calm before ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here we are, in the calm before ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here we are, in the calm before ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here, here we are, here, in the ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here, here we are, in the calm ...)
        {G}{D}{C}{G}   (- are, here we are, in the calm before ...)
        ... fade out




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thanks: Jose Alberto (brooklyn@usuarios.retecal.es)
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The Calm before the Storm (L.Reed-R.Blades););
   guitar: lou reed, mike rathke;
   arranged and produced by L. Reed-R.Blades;
   background vocals too.


lyrics:

there was a time when ignorance made our innocence strong.
there was a time when we all thought we could do no wrong.
there was a time, so long ago, there was a time...
but here we are, in the calm before the storm.

while the orchestra plays,
they build barricades to help close the doors.
while the musician sings, the Holocaust rings cymbals of war
in the cities we stare at the things that were there,
and no longer are.
and in our hearts, here we are again, in the calm before the storm.

there was a time, when we had an idea whose time hadn't come.
they kept changing its name,
so we could still pretend it was not really gone.
we heard our screams turn into song and back into screams again.
and here we are again, in the calm before the storm.

chorus: here we are, here we are, in the calm before the storm.

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chords transcribed by Shiroh KOUCHI (wildside@mx21.tiki.ne.jp)
http://ww21.tiki.ne.jp/~wildside/
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