Botswanna

Botswana

Written by John Stewart

'Botswana' is from "Punch the Big Guy", Line Records 1987. This is a mighty song. Goes straight to the heart. Charlie found a chord change I had missed and told me it was "Credo domino". I had wondered for years, expecting the words to be English. Eight years of Latin at school... embarrassing, isn´t it? When Charlie commented on the song, he wrote: "This is really a powerful song. I played it one Sunday at my church with Beth and another lady from the choir sang the "credo domino" part. There wasn't a dry eye left in the house."

Capo 2^{nd fret}

(Charlie says: Add G-note on high E-string to chords except Am, --so it´s really F9, C5…you don´t have to do it all the time--). Play first four strings only on intro.

(F) (C/E) (G/D) (C) (F) (C/E) (G/D) (C)

Oh I live in California,

I can (G)look out at the ocean,

On the (F)silver blue Pa(C)cific,

It is (F)always (C)there to (G)see.

But (C)I'm so busy working

That I (G)don't have time to see it,

But it's the (F)knowing that it's (C)there

That (F)means a (C)lot to (G)me.

And it makes it (Am)hard

When I close my (G)eyes,

When (C)I can see the pictures,

(G)Taken at Botswanna,

The (F)pictures of the (C)children

With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.

Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,

(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

And those with all the money,

They are (G)having nervous breakdowns,

And they're (F)always taking (C)pills

To make them (F)feel the (C)other(G)wise.

Oh, how (C)could I ever stumble

Or com(G)plain that things aren´t going right?

How (F)could I ever (C)fail

To see (F)rainbows (C)in the (G)skies?

And it makes it (Am)hard

When I close my (G)eyes,

Because (C)I can see the pictures

(G)Taken at Botswanna,

The (F)pictures of the (C)children

With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.

Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,

(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

Oh, faith it is a fire,

And it's (G)fanned by the winds of thanks,

I am (F)worried of our (C)numbers,

And I'm (F)worried (C)of our (G)ranks,

As we (C)fire up the Porsches,

(G)Fighting to survive,

And we (F)look for valet (C)parking

(F)Out on (C)Rodeo (G)Drive.

It makes it (Am)hard,

I wonder if God (G)cries,

(C)When he sees the pictures

(G)Taken at Botswanna,

The (F)pictures of the (C)children

With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes

Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,

(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

And I'm (F)not my brother's keeper,

For I (Em)do not have the power,

Is it (Dm)part of some great (C)game

That they (F)play on the (C)other (G)side?

Because it's (F)all that I can do

To just (Em)keep myself together,

(Dm)Still I see the (C)faces

In the (F)blue pa(C)cific (G)tide.

And it makes it (Am)hard

When I close my (G)eyes,

And (C)I can see the pictures,

(G)Taken at Botswanna,

The (F)pictures of the (C)children

With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.

Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,

(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

Is it not for us to wonder?

Is it (G)not for us to question?

Is it (F)not for us to (C)cry out,

"This (F)cannot (C)be de(G)nied?"

For (C)we are but a family

Without (G)walls, but we have waters,

And (F)every face you (C)see,

Is (F)you and (C)it is (G)I.

And it makes it (Am)hard

When you close your (G)eyes,

And (C)you can see the pictures

(G)Taken at Botswanna, (F) (C) (G) (F) (C)

Oh, the (F)pictures of the (C)children,

Mm (G)mm m mm (F)mm, (C)

Yeah, the (F)pictures of the (C)children

With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes

Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,

(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

janhauenstein@gmx.de & Charlie Woodward. (The team).

11/2002