Changing of the Guards Chords by Patti Smith

[Intro]

[Verse]
Em              
■  Sixteen years
G               D               Em   
Sixteen banners united over the field
          C             D      
Where the good shepherd grieves
Em                      G     D      
Desperate men desperate women divided
                Em           C       D     
Spreading their wings 'neath falling leaves


[Chorus]
Em           
Fortune calls
          G              D              Em         
I stepped forth from the shadows to the marketplace


[Verse]
              C                  D                  Em       
Merchants and thieves hungry for power my last deal gone down
               G              D                     Em  
She's smelling sweet like the meadows where she was born
   C               D        G    
On midsummer's Eve near the tower
                Em  
The coldblooded moon
            G               D          
The captain waits above the celebration
            Em            C       D   
Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid
            Em      G      D            
Whose ebony face is beyond communication
               Em                               C         D  G      Em
The captain is down but still believes that his love will be repaid ■ 


[Chorus]
                Em  
They shaved her head
        G                        D     
She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo
            Em             C     D          
A messenger arrived with a black nightingale
                     Em           G                 D     
I've seen her on the stairs and I couldn't help but follow
           Em                                C      D   G   
Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil
                 Em  
I stumbled to my feet


[Verse]
            G                  D      
I rode past destruction in the ditches
         Em                               C           D     
With the stitches still mending beneath a heartshaped tattoo
Em                   G                 D      
Renegade priests and treacherous young witches
Em                                    C        D  
Were handing out the flowers that I'd given to you
              Em     
The palace of mirrors
          G            D        
Where dog soldiers are reflected
            Em           C          D     
The endless road and the wailing of chimes
          Em    Em7 Em        G         D        
The empty rooms ■   where her memory is protected
          Em                            C        D        G    
Where the angel's voices whisper to the souls of previous times
              Em
She wakes him up


[Chorus]
                 G                D       
Fortyeight hours later the sun is breaking
            Em              C                  D    
Near broken chains mountain laurel and rolling rocks
                 Em        G                       D     
She's begging to know what measures now he will be taking
                 Em                                C    D      G     Em7 Em
He's pulling her down and she's clutching onto his long golden locks ■   ■ 


[Verse]
                  Em7 Em      G         D                             Em   
Gentlemen he said ■   I don't need your organization I've shined your shoes
                C                         D    
I've moved your mountains and marked your cards
            Em             G                  D          
But Eden is burning either brace yourself for elimination
             Em                                   C      D      G     
Or else your hearts must have the courage for the change of the guards
           Em  
Peace will come


[Chorus]
     G               D                         Em  
With tranquility and splendor on the wheels of fire
                  C  D                     Em        
But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall
          G     D                   Em                   
And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating
            C            D        G     
Between the king and the queen of swords


[Outro]
D C G D C G D C
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
G D C G D C G D
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
C G D C G
■ ■ ■ ■ ■