Biography:
Bill Morrissey (November 25, 1951 – July 23, 2011) was an American folk singer-songwriter from New Hampshire. Many of his songs reflect the harsh realities of life in crumbling New England mill towns.
Hailing from New Hampshire in the northeastern United States, singer-songwriter Bill Morrissey wrote about everyday life on the fringes, both geographical--e.g., fading mill towns, railyards, prisons--and interpersonal--e.g., instant infatuation with an unknown woman at a bar.
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Birches
Bill Morrissey
Key=Bb [Capo 3 - Play like G, Bm, Am, C D]
[These notations are used below. G=Bb, Bm=Dm, etc]
[G]They sat at each end of the couch,
and [Bm]watched as the fire burned down.
So [Am]quiet on this winter's night,
[walk] Not a [C]house-light on for [D]miles around.
Then he [G]said, "I think I'll fill the stove.
[Bm]It's getting time for bed."
[Am]She looked up. "I think I'll have some wine.
How 'bout [C]you?" she asked, and [D] he declined.
[G] "Warren," she said, "Maybe just [Bm]for tonight,
let's [Am] fill the stove with birches
and [C] watch as the fire [D] burns bright.
[G] How long has it been?
It's [Bm] been quite a while.
[Am] Pour yourself half a glass and
[C] stay with me a [D] little while."
And [G] Warren, he shook his head
as if [Bm] she'd made some kind of joke.
[Am]"Birches? On a winter night?
[C] No, we'll fill the [D] stove with oak.
[G]Oak will burn as long and hot
as a [Bm] July afternoon.
[Am] Birch will burn [C] itself out
by the [D] rising of the moon.
[G] And you hate a cold house same as me.
[Bm] Am I right or not?"
[Am]"All right, all right that's [C]true,"
she said [D]"It was just a thought."
Then she said,[G]"Warren, you do look tired.
Maybe [Bm] you should go up to bed.
[Am] I'll take care of the wood tonight."
[C] "Oak," he told her. [D] "Oak," she said.
[G]She listened to his footsteps
as he [Bm] climbed up the stairs.
Then she [Am]pulled a sweater on her and
[C] set her wine glass [D] on a chair.
She [G] walked down cellar to the woodbox.
It was [Bm] cold as an ice chest.
Then [Am] climbed back up with [C] four logs,
each as white as a [D] wedding dress.
And she [G]filled the stove and poured the wine,
then she [Bm] sat down on the floor.
[Am]She curled her legs beneath her,
[C] as the fire sprang to [D] life once more.
And it [G]filled the room with it's hungry light,
and it [Bm] cracked as it drew air.
And the [Am] shadows danced a [C]jittery waltz
like no one else was [D] there.
She [G] stood up in the heat, and
she [Bm] twirled around the room.
And the [Am] shadows, they
saw [C] nothing but a young girl on her [D]honeymoon.
And she [G] knew the time, it would be short
soon the [Bm] fire would start to fade.
She [Am] thought of heat, she [C] thought of time.
She [D] called it an even [G] trade.
Bill Morrissey
Key=Bb [Capo 3 - Play like G, Bm, Am, C D]
[These notations are used below. G=Bb, Bm=Dm, etc]
[G]They sat at each end of the couch,
and [Bm]watched as the fire burned down.
So [Am]quiet on this winter's night,
[walk] Not a [C]house-light on for [D]miles around.
Then he [G]said, "I think I'll fill the stove.
[Bm]It's getting time for bed."
[Am]She looked up. "I think I'll have some wine.
How 'bout [C]you?" she asked, and [D] he declined.
[G] "Warren," she said, "Maybe just [Bm]for tonight,
let's [Am] fill the stove with birches
and [C] watch as the fire [D] burns bright.
[G] How long has it been?
It's [Bm] been quite a while.
[Am] Pour yourself half a glass and
[C] stay with me a [D] little while."
And [G] Warren, he shook his head
as if [Bm] she'd made some kind of joke.
[Am]"Birches? On a winter night?
[C] No, we'll fill the [D] stove with oak.
[G]Oak will burn as long and hot
as a [Bm] July afternoon.
[Am] Birch will burn [C] itself out
by the [D] rising of the moon.
[G] And you hate a cold house same as me.
[Bm] Am I right or not?"
[Am]"All right, all right that's [C]true,"
she said [D]"It was just a thought."
Then she said,[G]"Warren, you do look tired.
Maybe [Bm] you should go up to bed.
[Am] I'll take care of the wood tonight."
[C] "Oak," he told her. [D] "Oak," she said.
[G]She listened to his footsteps
as he [Bm] climbed up the stairs.
Then she [Am]pulled a sweater on her and
[C] set her wine glass [D] on a chair.
She [G] walked down cellar to the woodbox.
It was [Bm] cold as an ice chest.
Then [Am] climbed back up with [C] four logs,
each as white as a [D] wedding dress.
And she [G]filled the stove and poured the wine,
then she [Bm] sat down on the floor.
[Am]She curled her legs beneath her,
[C] as the fire sprang to [D] life once more.
And it [G]filled the room with it's hungry light,
and it [Bm] cracked as it drew air.
And the [Am] shadows danced a [C]jittery waltz
like no one else was [D] there.
She [G] stood up in the heat, and
she [Bm] twirled around the room.
And the [Am] shadows, they
saw [C] nothing but a young girl on her [D]honeymoon.
And she [G] knew the time, it would be short
soon the [Bm] fire would start to fade.
She [Am] thought of heat, she [C] thought of time.
She [D] called it an even [G] trade.
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