Raven's Child

Words and Music by John Denver & Joe Henry
from The Flower That Shattered The Stone (1990)

Unusual Chords
Asus4     x02230


A   Asus4    A    Asus4

A                  Asus4
Raven's child is chas-ing salvation
  A                              Asus4             A   Asus4
Black beak turned white from the crack and the snow
           A                   Asus4
On the streets of despair the answer is simple
    A          G         D            A   Asus4    A
A spoonful of mercy can set free the soul

      D
The drug king sits on his arrogant throne
               A 
Away and above and a-part
D
Even children are twisted to serve him
Em                                   A
Greed has corrupted what once was a heart

A               Asus4              A            Asus4

Raven's child keeps vigil for freedom
Trades for the arms that once made her strong
With nuclear warheads and lasers in heaven
Fear does the choosing between right and wrong

The arms king sits on his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Bankers assure him that he needn t care
And greed makes a stone of what once was a heart

A               Asus4              A            Asus4

Raven's child is washing the water
All of her wing-feathers blackened with tar
Prince William shoreline s an unwanted highway
Of asphalt and anger an elegant scar

The oil king sits on his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Lawyers have warned him he mustn t speak
And greed has made silent what once was a heart

A               Asus4              A

Bm                          E
Still there are walls that come tumbling down
     A                       F#m
For people who yearn to be free
Bm                           A
Still there are hearts that long to be opened
    D                         E
And eyes that are longing to see


 A                    Asus4
Raven's child is our constant companion
  A                Asus4                A  Asus4
Sticks like a shadow to all that is done
  A               Asus4
Try as we may we just can't escape him
    A            G                 D          A         Asus4         A
The source of our sorrow and shame,    We are one

       D
The true King sits on a heavenly throne
                           A 
Never away nor above nor apart
      D
With wisdom and mercy and constant compassion
Em                                      A     Asus4    A   Asus4
He lives in the love that lives in our hearts

A                Asus4             A     Asus4
Raven's child is wash-ing the water.
A                  Asus4             A    Asus4
Raven's child keeps vigil for freedom
A                 Asus4            A      Asus4
Raven's child is chas-ing salvation
A                   Asus4              A   Asus4   A
Raven's child is our constant companion


Copyright 1989  Cherry Mountain Music