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Van Morrison : Back On Top
1999


  1. Goin' Down Geneva
  2. Philospher's Stone
  3. In The Midnight
  4. Back On Top
  5. When The Leaves Come Falling Down
  6. High Summer
  7. Reminds Me Of You
  8. New Biography
  9. Precious Time
  10. Golden Autumn Day

Goin' Down Geneva

A
D7
A
D7
A
E7
D7
A
E7
A
D7
A
Goin' down Geneva, give me a helping hand
D7
A
I'm goin' down Geneva, give me a helping hand
E7
D7
A
E7
It's not easy, baby, living on the exile plan
A
D7
A
Down on the bottom, down to my new pair of shoes
D7
A
Down on the bottom, down to my new pair of shoes
E7
D7
A
E7
I'm down by the lakeside, thinking 'bout my baby blue
A
D7
A
Last night I played a gig in Salzburg, outside in the pouring rain
D7
A
Last night I played a gig in Salzburg, outside in the pouring rain
E7
D7
A
E7
Flew from there to Montreux, and my heart was filled with pain
A
D7
A
Look out my window, back at the way things are
D7
A
Look out my window pane, back at the way things are
E7
D7
A
E7
Just wonder how, how did things ever get this far?
A
D7
A
Vince Taylor, used to live here, nobody's ever heard of him
D7
A
Vince Taylor used to live here, nobody's ever heard of him
E7
D7
A
E7
Just who he was, just where he fits in
A
D7
A
He was goin' down Geneva, give him a helping hand
D7
A
He was goin' down Geneva, give him a helping hand
E7
D7
A
E7
It wasn't easy, living on the exile plan
A
D7
A
Vince Taylor, used to live here, nobody's ever heard of him
D7
A
Vince Taylor used to live here, nobody's ever heard of him
E7
D7
A
A7
Just who he was, just where he fits in


Philospher's Stone

Intro: verse chords
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Out on the highways, and the by-ways, all alone
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
C
I'm still searching for, searching for my home
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Up in the morning, Up in the morning, out on the road
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
C
And my head is aching, and my hands are cold
C
Cadd9
And I'm looking for the silver lining
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Silver lining, in the clouds
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
And I'm searching for, and I'm searching for
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
The philosophers stone
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
And it's a hard road, it's a hard road, daddy-o
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
C
When my job, is turning lead, into gold
C
Cadd9
He was born in the back street
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Born in the back street, Jelly Roll
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
I'm on the road again, and I'm searching for
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
The philosophers stone
C
Cadd9
Can you hear that engine
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Whoa can you hear that, engine drone?
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
I'm on the road again, and I'm searching for
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
The philosophers stone
Solo over verse chords x2
C
Cadd9
Up in the morning
C
Cadd9
Up in the morning
F
Dm
F
Dm
When the streets are white with snow
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
C
It's a hard road, it's a hard road, daddy-o
C
Cadd9
Up in the morning
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Up in the morning, out on the job
Gsus4
G
Well, you've got me searching for
Gsus4
G
C
Searching for, the philosophers stone
C
Cadd9
Even my best friends
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Even my best friends, they don't know
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
C
That my job, is turning lead, into gold
C
Cadd9
When you hear that engine
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
When you hear that, engine drone
Gsus4
G
Gsus4
G
I'm on the road again, and I'm searching for
C
Cadd9
C
Cadd9
The philosophers stone
Solo over verse chords x2
C
Cadd9
It's a hard road
C
Cadd9
F
Dm
F
Dm
Even my best friends, they don't know
Gsus4
G
C
And I'm searching for, searching for, the philosophers stone


In The Midnight

Intro
Bm7
Am
x2
Verse 1
Bm7
Am
Bm7
Am
In the lonely dead of midnight, in the dimness of the twilight
Bm7
Am
G
D
By the streetlight, by the lamplight, I'll be around
Verse 2
Bm7
Am
Bm7
Am
In the sunlight, in the daylight, and I'm workin', on the insight
Bm7
Am
G
D
And I'm tryin' to keep, my game uptight, I'll be around
Chorus 1
C
D
G
G7
And your memory, heard this lonely, lonely music once
C
D
G
D
And your memory, has been haunting me ever since
Verse 3
Bm7
Am
When I'm tryin', tryin' to come down
Bm7
Am
In my world my room keeps spinning round
Bm7
Am
G
D
And I'm tryin' to get my feet back on the ground, you come around
Solo
Bm7
Am
x3
G
D
Chorus 2
C
D
G
G7
And your memory, heard this lonely, lonely music once
C
D
G
D
And your memory, has been haunting me ever since
Verse 4
Bm7
Am
Bm7
Am
In the lonely dead of midnight, in the dimness of the twilight
Bm7
Am
G
D
By the streetlight, by the lamplight, I'll be around
Verse 5
Bm7
Am
When I'm tryin', tryin' to come down
Bm7
Am
In my world my room keeps spinning round
Bm7
Am
G
D
And I'm tryin' to get my feet back on the ground, you come around
Coda
Bm7
Am
Da da da da da, da da da da da
Bm7
Am
Da da da da da, da da da da da
Bm7
Am
G
D
G
Da da da da da, da da da da da, da da da da


Back On Top

Em
C
x3
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
x2
Am7
Bm7
G
Em
C
You came to see me when the moon was new
Em
C
Saw you standin' in the pouring rain
Em
C
Left my message on the window pain
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Back on the street again
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Back on the beat again
Am7
Bm7
G
I'm... back on the top, again
Em
C
Saw me climbing to the top of the hill
Em
C
You saw me meeting with the fools on the hill
Em
C
Learned my lesson, and I had my fill
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Learnt it all in vain
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Went through it all again
Am7
Bm7
G
Now I'm back on the top, again
D
C
Always strivin', always climbing way beyond my will
D
C
Same old sensation, isolation at the top of the bill
D
C
Always seeming like I'm moving, but I'm really going slow
D
C
What do you do, when you get to the top and there's nowhere to go?
Em
C
Just how I get there will be anybody's guess
Em
C
With all the so called trappings of success
Em
C
Left all the deadbeats on the top of the hill
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Too busy raisin' Cain
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
I'm back on the street again
Am7
Bm7
G
I'm... back on the top, again
Solo over verse chords
D
C
Always strivin', always climbing way beyond my will
D
C
Same old sensation, isolation at the top of the bill
D
C
Always seeming like I'm moving, but I'm really going slow
D
C
What do you do, when you get to the top and there's nowhere to go?
Em
C
Just how I get there will be anybody's guess
Em
C
With all the so called trappings of success
Em
C
Left all the deadbeats on the top of the hill
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Too busy raisin' Cain
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
I'm back on the street again
Am7
Bm7
G
I'm... back on the top, again
Em
C
x3
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Back on the street again
Am7
Bm7
Cmaj7
Back on the beat again
Am7
Bm7
G
I'm... back on the top, again


When The Leaves Come Falling Down

Cmaj7
G
x2
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
I saw you standing with wind and the rain, in your face
Am
And you were thinking
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
'Bout the wisdom of the leaves, and their grace
Fmaj7
G
When the leaves come falling down
Cmaj7
G
In September, when the leaves come falling down
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
And at night the moon is shinning, on a clear cloudless sky
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
And when the evening shadows fall, I'll be there by your side
Fmaj7
G
When the leaves come falling down
Cmaj7
G
In September, when the leaves come falling down
Dm7
Em7
Follow me down, follow me down
F
G
Cmaj7
Follow me down, to the place beside the garden and the wall
Dm7
Em7
Follow me down, follow me down
F
G
Cmaj7
G
To the space before the twilight and the dawn
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
Oh, the last time I saw Paris, in the streets in the rain
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
And as I walk along the boulevards, with you, once again
Fmaj7
G
When the leaves come falling down
Cmaj7
G
In September, when the leaves come falling down
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
x2
Fmaj7
G
Cmaj7
G
Dm7
Em7
Follow me down, follow me down
F
G
Cmaj7
Follow me down, to the place beside the garden and the wall
Dm7
Em7
Follow me down, follow me down
F
G
Cmaj7
G
To the space before the twilight and the dawn
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
And as I'm looking at the colour, of the leaves in your hand
Am
Fmaj7
Cmaj7
G
As we're listening to Chet Baker, on the beach, in the sand
Fmaj7
G
When the leaves come falling down
Cmaj7
G
In September, when the leaves come falling down
G
Fmaj7
Oh when the leaves come falling down
G
Cmaj7
In September, when the leaves come falling down
Fmaj7
When the leaves come falling down
G
Cmaj7
In September, when the leaves come falling down
G
Fmaj7
When the leaves come falling down
G
In September in the rain
Cmaj7
G
When the leaves come falling down
Fmaj7
When the leaves come falling down
G
In September in the rain
Cmaj7
When the leaves come falling down


High Summer

Capo:
III
Am
F
G
C
F
C
x2
(
C
)
Am
By the mansion on the hillside
F
G
C
F
C
Red sports car comes driving down the road
C/b
Am
And pulls up into the driveway
F
G
C
F
C
And a story does unfold
C
C/b
Am
She's standing by the rhododendrons
F
G
C
F
C
Where the roses are in bloom
C/b
Am
Looking out at the Atlantic ocean
F
G
C
F
C
And in her head she hums this tune
C
C/b
Am
Thank god the dark nights, are drawing in again
F
G
C
F
C
'Cause high summer has got me down
C/b
Am
I'll wait till the end of August
F
G
C
F
C
And get off this merry-go-round
C
C/b
Am
And they shut him out of paradise
F
G
C
F
C
Called him Lucifer, and frowned
C/b
Am
She took pride in what God made him
F
C
F
C
Even before the angels shot him down to the ground
C
C/b
Am
He's a light out of the darkness
F
G
C
F
C
And he wears a starry crown
C/b
Am
If you see him nothing will shake him
F
G
C
F
C
'Cause high summer has got him low down
Am
F
G
C
F
C
x2
C
Dm
High summer's got him lonesome
G
Am
F
Even when he makes the rounds, (makes the rounds)
F
Dm
There's been no two ways about it
G
C
F
C
High summer's got him low down
C
Am
Checked in to the tiny village by the lakeside
F
G
C
F
C
Settled down to start a-new
C/b
Am
Far away from the politicians
F
G
C
F
C
And the many chosen few
C
C/b
Am
Far away from the jealousy factor
F
G
C
F
C
And everything that was tearing him apart
C/b
Am
Far away from the organ grinder
F
G
C
F
C
And everyone that played their part
C
C/b
Am
And they shut him out of paradise
F
G
C
F
C
Called him Lucifer, and frowned
C/b
Am
She took pride in what God made him
F
C
F
C
Even before the angels shot him down to the ground
C
C/b
Am
He's a light out of the darkness
F
G
C
F
C
And he wears a starry crown
C/b
Am
If you see him nothing will shake him
F
G
C
F
C
'Cause high summer has got him low down
Am
F
G
C
F
C
x2
C
C/b
Am
High summer's on the rebound
F
G
C
F
C
High summer's got him low down
C
C/b
Am
High summer's on the rebound
F
G
C
F
C
High summer's got him low down
C
C/b
Am
High summer's on the rebound
F
G
C
F
C
High summer's got him low down, low down


Reminds Me Of You

G
Bm
C
G
D
C
G
G
Bm
C
I miss you so much I can't stand it
G
Bm
D
Seems like my heart is breaking in two
G
Bm
C
My head says no, but my soul demands it
G
D
C
G
Everything I do reminds me of you
G
Bm
C
I miss you so much, in this house full of shadows
G
Bm
D
While the rain keeps pouring down my window, too
G
Bm
C
When will the pain recede to the darkness
G
D
C
G
From whence it has come? And I'm feeling so blue
C
Bm
Ain't goin' down no more to the well
C
D
G
G7
Sometimes it feels like I'm going to hell
C
Bm
Sometimes I'm knocking on your front door
C
D
C
G
But I don't have nothing to sell, no more
G
Bm
C
Seems like the spirit is pushing me onwards
G
Bm
D
I'm able to see where I tripped and went wrong
G
Bm
C
I'll just have to guess where my soul will find comfort
G
D
C
G
And I miss you so much, when I'm singing my song
Solo over verse chords
C
Bm
Ain't goin' down no more to the well
C
D
G
G7
Sometimes it feels like I'm going to hell
C
Bm
Sometimes I'm knocking on your front door
C
D
C
G
But I don't have nothing to sell, no more
G
Bm
C
Seems like the spirit is pushing me onwards
G
Bm
D
I'm able to see where I tripped and went wrong
G
Bm
C
I'll just have to guess where my soul will find comfort
G
D
C
G
And I miss you so much, when I'm singing my song
G
Bm
C
I miss you so much I can't stand it
G
Bm
D
Seems like my heart is breaking in two
G
Bm
C
My head says no, but my soul demands it
G
D
C
G
Everything I do reminds me of you
G
D
C
G
Everything I do reminds me of you
G
D
C
G
Everything I do reminds me of you
C
C/b
C/a
G


New Biography

Capo:
III
C
Am
F
G
x2
C
Am
See you've got the new biography
F
G
Where did they get the info from?
C
Am
Same as before, some so-called friends
F
G
Who claim to have known me then
C
Am
How come they've got such good memories
F
G
When I can't even remember last week?
C
Am
Got to question where they're coming from
F
G
What knowledge of me is it that they speak?
C
Am
So far away, way back when
F
G
The people that claim to have known me then
C
Am
They're not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
F
G
That they have to play the name game
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
G
Lord, it's a cryin' shame, Lord, tell me what's to blame?
C
Am
Reinvented all the stories they know
F
G
Give them all a different slant
C
Am
What is it that they're really looking for?
F
G
Just a hobby on the internet
C
Am
So far away, way back when
F
G
The people that claim to have known me then
C
Am
They're not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
F
G
That they have to play the name game
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
G
Lord, it's a cryin' shame, Lord, tell me what's to blame?
C
Am
F
G
x2
Am
If they didn't really know me way back
F
G
How can they know me now in any respect?
Am
It's a pity they don't feel the pain
F
G
That they should pay the price to play, to play...
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
G
Lord, it's a cryin' shame, Lord, tell me what's to blame?
C
Am
They're not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
F
G
That they have to play, have to play...
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
Lord, it's a cryin' shame
G
Lord, tell me what's to blame? They keep on playin'...
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
Lord, it's a cryin' shame
G
Lord, tell me what's to blame? They keep on playin'...
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
Lord, it's a cryin' shame
G
Lord, tell me what's to blame? They keep on playin'...
C
Am
The fame game, oh, the name game
F
Lord, it's a cryin' shame
G
Lord, tell me what's to blame? They keep on playin'...
C
Am
F
G


Precious Time

G
C
Precious time is slipping away
G
D
But you're only king for a day
G
C
It doesn't matter to which God you pray
G
D
C
G
Precious time is slipping away
It doesn't matter what route you take Sooner or later the hearts going to break No rhyme or reason, no master plan No Nirvana, no promised land Because, precious time is slipping away You know you're only king for a day It doesn't matter to which God you pray Precious time is slipping away Say que sera, whatever will be But then I keep on searching for immortality She's so beautiful but she's going to die some day Everything in life just passes away But, precious time is slipping away You know she's only queen for a day It doesn't matter to which God you pray Precious time is slipping away Well this world is cruel with its twists and turns Well the fire's still in me and the passion burns I love a medley till the day I die 'Til hell freezes over and the rivers run dry Precious time is slipping away You know she's only queen for a day It doesn't matter to which God you pray because Precious time is slipping away Precious time is slipping away You know you're only king for a day It doesn't matter to which God you pray Precious time is slipping away Precious time is slipping away You know you're only king for a day It doesn't matter to which God you pray because Precious time is slipping away


Golden Autumn Day

F
Am
Bbmaj7
x2
F
Well, I heard the bells ringing
Am
Bbmaj7
I was thinking about winning, in this God forsaken place
F
When my confidence was well
Am
Bbmaj7
Then I tripped and I fell, right flat on my face
F
Now I'm standing erect
Am
Bbmaj7
And I feel like coming back and the sun is shining gold
F
Put a smile on my face
Am
Bbmaj7
Get back in the human race and get on with the show
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm taking in the Indian Summer
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm soaking it up in my mind
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm pretending, that it's paradise...
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
C
On a golden Autumn day
F
In the wee midnight hour
Am
Bbmaj7
I was parking my car, in this dimly lit town
F
I was attacked by two thugs
Am
Bbmaj7
Who took me for a mug and shoved me down on the ground
F
And they pulled out a knife
Am
Bbmaj7
And I fought my way up as they scarpered from the scene
F
Well, this is no New York street
Am
Bbmaj7
And there's no Bobby on the beat and things ain't just what they seem
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm taking in the Indian Summer
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm soaking it up in my mind
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm pretending, that it's paradise...
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
C
On a golden Autumn day
Solo over verse and chorus chords
F
Who would think this could happen
Am
Bbmaj7
In a city like this, among Blake's green and pleasant hills?
F
And we must remember
Am
Bbmaj7
As we go through September, among these dark satanic mills
F
If there's such a thing as justice
Am
Bbmaj7
I could take them out and flog them, in the nearest green field
F
And it might be a lesson
Am
Bbmaj7
To the bleeders of the system, in this whole society
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm taking in the Indian Summer
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm soaking it up in my mind
C
Bbmaj7
And I'm pretending, that it's paradise...
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
On a golden Autumn day
F
Bbmaj7
x8