Dear Heather:

Villanelle for Our Time

words by Frank Scott, music by Leonard Cohen


                From bitter searching of the heart,
                Quickened with passion and with pain
                We rise to play a greater part.
                This is the faith from which we start:
Am7...|....|    Men shall know commonwealth again from bitter searching of the heart. We loved the easy and the
Fmaj7...|....|  smart, but now, with keener hand and brain, we rise
Cmaj7...|....|  to play a greater part. The lesser loyalties depart, and neither race nor
Fmaj7...|....|  creed remain from bitter searching of the heart. Not steering by the
Am7...|....|    venal chart that tricked the mass for private gain, we rise
Fmaj7...|....|  to play a greater part. Reshaping narrow law and art whose symbols
Cmaj7...|....|  are the millions slain, from bitter searching of the heart we rise to play
Fmaj7...|....|  a greater part.
Am7...|....|
Fmaj7...|....|
Am7...|....|
Fmaj7...|....|  This is the faith from which we start: Men shall
Cmaj7...|....|  know commonwealth again from bitter
G...|Fmaj7...|  searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part.
Fmaj7...|....|  The lesser loyalties depart, and neither
Am7...|....|    race nor creed remain from bitter
Fmaj7...|....|  searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part. Reshaping
Fmaj7...|....|  narrow law and art whose symbols are the millions
Cmaj7...|       slain, from
G...|Fmaj7...|  bitter searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part. This is the
Fmaj7...|....|  faith from which we start: Men shall know commonwealth
Cmaj7...|....|  again from bitter
G...|Fmaj7...|  searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part.
Fmaj7...|....|
Fmaj7...|
Am7...|....|
Fmaj7...|....|
Fmaj7...|
Cmaj7...|....|
Em7...|....|
Em7/b...|....|
Am7...|....|    This is the
Fmaj7...|....|  faith from which we start: Men shall know commonwealth
Cmaj7...|       again from bitter
G...|Fmaj7...|  searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part. Not steering
Fmaj7...|....|  by the venal chart that tricked the mass for private
Cmaj7...|       private gain, we rise,
G...|Fmaj7...|  we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part. Reshaping narrow
Fmaj7...|....|  law and art whose symbols are the millions
Cmaj7...|       slain, from
G...|Fmaj7...|  bitter searching of the heart we rise to play a
Cmaj7...|....|  greater part.
Fmaj7...|....|
Fmaj7...|....|
Fmaj7...|....|
Cmaj7...|....