The Vow

	  		
Intro: C F Am F 

verse 1 
Am 
My old man was young once 
          F 
Or so the photo album claims 
C 
 Flip the page the baby jumps 
     G 
Some twenty years and change 

verse 2 
         Am 
From the cradle to the naval base 
  F 
A newlywed recruit 
            C 
Through the boot camp of a family man 
     G 
In a loose civilian suit 

Bridge 
           F 
But it was anchors aweigh now 

Singing "Courage, service true" 
         Am           F 
All them anchors will weigh you down 
   C                 G 
If you ain't fit for blue 

 
     F 
What did I know about it then? 
C              G 
What do I know now? 
F 
I have known the kind of man 
   G                 Am 
It takes to keep the vow 
            F 
To keep the vow 


C F Am F 

verse 3 
              Am 
I'd say "Well I just thought…" 

And he'd cut me off 
        F 
Saying ‘That's what you get for thinking' 
C                                   G 
I remember thinking that's probably not the best lesson for a kid 

verse 4 
             Am 
And although that was just something he said 
       F 
When I see what I get with my thinking 
         C 
I get to thinking he may have been some kinda genius 
       G 
In the effortless way he just did 

Bridge 
  F 
I learned your word is one thing, 

You keep it if you give it out 
    Am               F             
But silence fans the fires a man  
  C                      G  
Requires to keep the vow 

Chorus 
     F 
What did I know about it then? 
C              G 
What do I know now? 
F 
I have known the kind of man 
   G                 Am 
It takes to keep the vow 
            F 
To keep the vow 

Instrumental: C F Am F 

Middle 8 
           Gm 
I could've curled up in one footprint, 
          F 
One giant laugh, one giant hand 
          C 
Until the sickness and the treatment 
           G 
Shrunk him down to just a man 

  F 
A shrinking man still tinkering with my old busted car 
         C                              G 
When his wedding ring must've slipped into the muddy yard 
   F 
At least that's what he figured when he noticed it was gone 
      Am            F            C               G 
I can still see him on his knees digging up that lawn 

Verse 5 
Am                                                      
Now the flag is folded and the numbers are carved,  
     F 
Mississippi is glistening green 
        C                             
Another summer's softly calling off  
    G                         G7 
The search for missing things 

Bridge 
    F 
But I have found that something kept  

To keep me company 
         Am                 F              
On these nights when me and my old man  
   C            G 
Go digging into dreams 


      F 
What did I know about it then? 
C              G 
What do I know now? 
F 
I have known the kind of man 
   G                 Am 
It takes to keep the vow 

      F 
I can only hope as I propose 
   C               G 
To man the outpost now 
        F                                 G                 Am 
I'll be armed with memories of the man it takes to keep the vow 
            F 
To keep the vow 


Outro 
C F Am F (x4)