John Finn‘s Wife

Fm 
 
Well the night was deep and the night was dark 
And I was at the old dance-hall on the edge of town 
Some big ceremony was going down 
Dancers writhed and squirmed and then, 
Came apart and then writhed again 
Like squirming flies on a pin 
In the heat and in the din 
Yes, in the heat and in the din 
I fell to thinking about brand new wife of mad John Finn 
 
Well, midnite came and clock did strike 
And in she came, did John Finn‘s wife 
With legs like scissors and butcher‘s knives 
A tattooed breast and flaming eyes 
And a crimson carnation in her teeth 
Carving her way through the dance floor 
And I‘m standing over by the bandstand 
Every eye gaping on John Finn‘s wife 
Yeah, every eye gaping on John Finn‘s wife 
 
Gm / Cm / Gm / Cm / Gm / Cm / F 
 
Fm 
 
Now John Finn‘s wife was something of a mystery 
In a town where to share a sworn secret was a solemn duty 
I had brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
Over near the bandstand with John Finn‘s wife 
She got perfumed breasts and raven hair 
Sprinkled with wedding confettis 
And a gang of garrotters were all giving me stares 
Armed, as they were, with machetes 
And the night through the window was full of lights 
Winking and awatching at John Finns‘ wife 
Winking and awatching at John Finns‘ wife 
 
Next came the cops, all out on the town 
But it don‘t look like no trouble there 
As they had for the bar in their lumpy suits 
And I slip my hand between the things of John Finn‘s wife 
And they seemed to yawn awake, her things 
It was a warm and very ferocious night 
The moon full of blood and light 
And my eyes grew small and my eyes grew tight 
As I plotted in the ear of John Finns‘ wife 
 
Gm / Cm / Gm / Cm / Gm / Cm / F 
 
Fm 
Enter John Finn in his shrunken suit 
With his quick black eyes and black cheroot 
With his filled-down teeth and a hobnail boot 
And his fists full of pistols in his pockets 
Aiming at me and aiming at his wife 
The band fall silent fearing for their lives 
And with fear in my guts like tangled twine 
Cause all I got is brass knuckles and a bolo knife 
And mad John Finns‘ wife is all 
And the three of us walk out of the hall 
 
Now the night bore down upon us all 
You could hear the crickets in the thickets call 
And guns did flare and guns did bawl 
And I planted my bolo knife in the neck 
Of mad John Finn. I took his wretched life 
Now I‘m over near the bandstand 
Every hand moving on John Finns‘ wife 
Every hand moving on John Finns‘ wife 
 
Fm              Bb 
And John Finns‘ wife 
 
             F 
Took all the flowers down 
          Gm 
From her hair 
 
    Cm                F 
And threw them on the ground 
 
                  Bb 
And the flies did hum 
 
                  F 
And the flies did buzz around 
 
          Gm 
Poor John Finn 
 
      Cm            F 
Lying dead upon the ground 
 
                    Bb 
Lying dead upon the ground