Buy The Roots http://radicalface.com/store.html Intro (starting at :31 with the piano): D A (x2)

^DSo we start with my father as a boy barely spoke a word of englis^Ah fell in love from a distance he watched her working from the back fence^D

He learned some words and some clever turns of phrase from his father's

book of poets^A, she wasn't taken in that instant^E, but grew impressed with his persistence.

^DThey met each other out by moonlight^E, made love in the nearby ^Awoods, then her folks became suspicious ^C#mwhen her cycle broke and (?). They st^Dole

away without their goodbyes^E, got married in a foreign ^Atown, made their way C#m D a^Es best as they could. Found jobs and settled down. And then time moved on.

Interlude: D A (x2)

^DI was born in a river of blood on sheets from the wedding day^A. The room was dark and the stench was thick my father couldn't stand the smell of it.

^DMama died in the night cause the nearest doctor couldn't stem the blood loss. ^AFather cried out on the back porch. ^EMy sister held me at the

neighbor's house. ^DOh my there was a storm then^E, there was a flood of a different ^Akind. Father's eyes were often vacant, ^C#mbut his hands were rarely

^Dquiet. Sister learned to take her hits well^E, both from life and the physical ^Akind, but I was never one to lie down^C#m, despite who picked the

^Dfight. So we designed our ^Ehells. Interlude:

A D E (x2)

^DFather turned into a drinker,^E a dark bastard with a wooden ^Aheart. Sister learned to be a mother^C#m, before she ever played another part. ^DAnd I became a

little terror,^E I lashed out at whatever's ^Aaround. Took some time before I ^C#msettled, to find a mind that was somewhat ^Dsound. And like it always ^Edoes,

time rushed ^Aon. ^D ^E ^ASix years later father died in the very same bedroom. ^DMany said it was the

grief that did it,^E I have to say it's cause he hung himself.^A To be honest neither sister nor myself ever much regret his passing.^D But I admit it was

a nice thing,^E to always know that we could feed ourselves. ^A -Ben Malley

Radical Face - Family portrait