Songs from a Room:

Story of Isaac

written by Leonard Cohen


Chords:

Am/f:     102210
Intro: Am . Am/f .| Am/f . . . |

     Am              Am/f
The door it opened slowly
    Am            Am/f
My father he came in
       G    F    E
I was nine years old
         Am            Am/f
And he stood so tall above me
      Am                  Am/f
His blue eyes they were shining
         G         F    E
And his voice was very cold
C
He said, "I've had a vision

And you know I'm strong and holy
        D      Am         B
I must do what I've been told."
        F             Bb
So we started up the mountain
       F               Bb
I was running, he was walking
        F   G            A      Am
And his axe was made of gold

Well, the trees they got much smaller
The lake was like a lady's mirror
We stopped to drink some wine
Then he threw the bottle over
Broke a minute later
And he put his hand on mine
Thought I saw an eagle
But it might have been a vulture
I never could decide
Then my father built an altar
He looked once behind his shoulder
He knew I would not hide

You who build these altars now
To sacrifice these children
You must not do it anymore
A scheme is not a vision
And you never have been tempted
By a demon or a god
You who stand above them now
Your hatchets blunt and bloody
You were not there before
When I lay upon a mountain
And my father's hand was trembling
With the beauty of the word

And if you call me brother now
Forgive me if I inquire
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust
I will kill you if I must
I will help you if I can
When it all comes down to dust
I will help you if I must
I will kill you if I can
And mercy on our uniform
Man of peace or man of war
The peacock spreads his fan

Intro:

    Am              Am/f
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1---------------1---------------1---------------1----------------:
G:------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--:
A:--0----------------------------------------------------------------:
E:----------0-------1-------0-------1-------0-------1-------0--------:

    Am              Am/f
    |       .       .       .
E:-----------------------------------:
B:--1---------------1----------------:
G:------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--:
A:--0--------------------------------:
E:----------0-------1-------0--------:


Verse:

    Am              Am/f            Am              Am/f
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1---------------1---------------1---------------1----------------:
G:------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---0--:
A:--0-------------------------------0--------------------------------:
E:----------0-------1-------0---------------0-------1-------0--------:

    G       F       E
    |       .       .       .       |       .
E:---------------------------------------------------:
B:--0-------1-------0---------------0----------------:
G:------0-------2-------1-------1-------1-------1----:
D:----0---0---3---0---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---0--:
A:---------------------------------------------------:
E:--3-------1-------0-------0-------0-------0--------:

    Am              Am/f            Am              Am/f
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1---------------1---------------1---------------1----------------:
G:------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---0--:
A:--0-------------------------------0--------------------------------:
E:----------0-------1-------0---------------0-------1-------0--------:

    G       F       E
    |       .       .       .       |       .
E:---------------------------------------------------:
B:--0-------1-------0---------------0----------------:
G:------0-------2-------1-------1-------1-------1----:
D:----0---0---3---0---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---0--:
A:---------------------------------------------------:
E:--3-------1-------0-------0-------0-------0--------:

    C
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:--0---------------3---------------0---------------3----------------:
B:------1-------1-------1-------1-------1-------1-------1-------1----:
G:----0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--:
D:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
A:--3-------3-------3-------3-------3-------3-------3-------3--------:
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:

    D       Am      B
    |       .       .       .       |       .
E:--2-------0-----------2-----------2----------------:
B:------3-------1---4-----------4-------4-------0----:
G:----2---0---2---0---4---4---4---4---4---4---4---0--:
D:--0------------------------------------------------:
A:----------0-------2-------2-------2-------2--------:
E:---------------------------------------------------:

    F               Bb              F               Bb
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1-----------0---3-----------0---1-----------0---3-----------0----:
G:------2---------------3---------------2---------------3------------:
D:----3---3---3---0---3---3---3---0---3---3---3---0---3---3---3---0--:
A:------------------1-------1-----------------------1-------1--------:
E:--1-------1-----------------------1-------1------------------------:

    F               G               A
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1-----------0---0---------------2---------------2----------------:
G:------2---------------0-------0-------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----3---3---3---0---0---0---0---0---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2--:
A:----------------------------------0-------0-------0-------0--------:
E:--1-------1-------3-------3----------------------------------------:

    Am              Am/f            Am              Am/f
    |       .       .       .       |       .       .       .
E:-------------------------------------------------------------------:
B:--1---------------1---------------1---------------1----------------:
G:------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2----:
D:----2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---2---0--:
A:--0-------------------------------0--------------------------------:
E:----------0-------1-------0---------------0-------1-------0--------: