The Scarlet Tide

Well I recall his parting words Must I accept his fate? Or take myself far from this place I thought I heard a black bell toll A little bird did sing "Man has no choice When he wants everything." We`ll rise above the scarlet tide That trickles down through the mountain And separates the widow from the bride Man goes beyond his own decision Gets caught up in the mechanism Of swindlers who act like kings And brokers who break everything The dark of night was swiftly fading Close to the dawn of day Why would I want him just to lose him again? We`ll rise above the scarlet tide That trickles down through the mountain And separates the widow from the bride We`ll rise above the scarlet tide That trickles down through the mountain And separates the widow from the bride

The Scarlet Tide Written by Elvis Costello and T Bone Burnett Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Dennis Herring & Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocals, ukulele Emmylou Harris - vocals Recorded ca. April-June 2004, Ocean Way Studios, Nashville Released September 20, 2004 Albums The Delivery Man, 2004 Length 2:22 Background:  First recorded by Alison Krauss in 2003. First known performance:  February 4, 2004, West Hollywood CA      (202 known performances) Alternate versions The Delivery Man (The Clarksdale Sessions version) Performed by Elvis Costello Produced by Dennis Herring & Elvis Costello Musicians Elvis Costello - vocal, piano Steve Nieve - accordion Recorded April 15, 2004, Delta Recording, Clarksdale, MS Released January 25, 2005 Albums The Clarksdale Sessions, 2005 The Delivery Man (Deluxe Edition), 2005 Length 2:22

Chords

Chords submitted by Jeffrey Schulberg

This song is played on a ukulele in the key of D.  The easiest way to play it 
on the guitar is w/a capo on the 7th fret and using the chords below.

[G][G/C][G]
 
Well, I [G]recall his [G/C]parting [G]words
Must I [G7]accept his [C]fate?
Or [D]take [G]myself far [C]from this [D]place
 
I thought I [G]heard a [G/C]black bell [G] toll
A little [G7]bird did [C]sing
[D]"Man has no [G]choice
When[C] he wants [D]everything."[G][G/C][G]
 
We'll rise above the [G/C]scarlet [G]tide
That trickles [G7]down through the [C]mountain
And[D] separ[G]ates the [C]widow [D]from the [G]bride[G/C][G]
 
Man goes beyond his [G/C]own [G]decision
Gets caught up [G7]in the [C]mechanism
Of [D]swindlers[G] who [C]act like [D]kings
And brokers [G]who break [C]everything[D]

The dark of [G]night was [G/C]swiftly [G]fading
Close to the [G7]dawn of [C] day
Why [D]would I [G]want him just to [C]lose him [G]again?[G/C][G]

We'll rise above the scarlet tide
That trickles down through the mountain
And separates the widow from the bride

Internal links

• Elvis Costello Home Page: The Delivery Man | chords | TDM info page 1
• Lyrics

External links

• Elvis and Emmylou perform The Scarlet Tide on The Today Show (QuickTime)