Introduction Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
Ladies [Em]and gentlemen,
I want to welcome you here to this year,
our second annual celebration
at the Peace Arts.
[F#m]This gathering is sponsored
by [Em]the International Union
[D]of Mine [Em]Mill
and Smeller Workers,
and I welcome you here today
to [G]hear a concert,
an [Em]open -air concert
by one of the great artists of the [D]world.
[E]And now [D]I want to present to
[E]you [Em]Paul Ropes.
The program has been arranged
and you will hear Paul [E]sing those
songs that you want to hear.
I [Em]know he will [D]do his [E]very [C#m]be st
[Em]for us [G]people
all over [E]the world
and here today. Paul Robe[Em]son.[E]
I can't tell you how happy I am
to be [E]back with you.
I remember [G]last year,
and it's [F#m]helped carry
me through a long struggle,
the struggle for [E]peace,
[F#]and as [F#m]Mr. Lawrence said,
the struggle to see
[G]that in our [F#]great land [E]below the border,
[Em]there shall [E]be freedom
[F#]for [D]all of its citizens,
and [F#m]not far away in the [Em]future,
[F#m]but now [E]an d in the nex
[Em]t few years.[E]
[G]I can thank my [F#]middle smothers union,
Harvey, [F#]Ken Smith, W[G]ard, W[F#m]alker,
and [F#]many of them,
[G]many of the rank and file whom [Em]I know,
for [Em]this great gather[F#m]ing
[F#]and for [G]this idea [E]of our
gathering together [Em]at the border.
As I said last year,
[G]I often think of Canada,
the years when I came to Vancouver
and [F#m]met so many warm friends,
[G]many of whom are here today,
and I'll tell you that it won't be long before I'll be back
say[Em]ing hello to you [E]over in Vancouver.
[G]I have with me a dear friend,
a very fine pianist
[F#m]we hope to have piano
he [G]can play for you today, some solos.
[D]He's Mr. Alan Boo[G]th,
one of our leading pianists
[F#]down in America,
and [E]you'll hear him
in Vancouver soon.
He's here to play with me today.
[G]Mr. Brown sends you his regards.
feels that [D]he's kind of taking
it easy [F#m]these days.
I go flying around [G]this country so fast
that [Em]he feels he wants to sit there
in New York
[D]and teach for a while.
I've been very fortunate to have you
[Em]with me, Mr. Booth.
[D]So I'll begin the concert,
[Em]and in between I'll speak [Em]again,
maybe after the intermis[G]sion,
and [D]I'm going to do a little Shakespeare,
but I'll just start singing and keep
going for a while.
Go Johnny!