The Blind Men And The Elephant

F
Six men of Indostan
Bb                 F
To learning much inclined
Bb              F
Went to see the Elephant
        C      Dm        C
(Though all of them were blind)
Bb                C
That each by observation
      Bb          Fm    F
Might satisfy his mind
Fm          Bbm   Fm          Bbm
Satisfy his mind, satisfy his mind
Bbm          Fm         C               F     Fm
Six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined



[Verse One]
x         F
Well, the First approached the Elephant
Eb               Fm
And happening to fall
Eb                    F
Against his broad and sturdy side
   C
At once began to bawl:
Db         C
“God bless me! but the Elephant
               Fm
Is very like a wall!”



[Verse Two]
                    F
The Second, feeling of the tusk
       Bb                F
Cried, “Ho! what have we here
Bb                F          C
So very round and smooth and sharp?
C
To me tis mighty clear
Db                C
This wonder of an Elephant
               F
Is very like a spear!”



[Chorus]
F                Fm
All of them were blind
Bbm              Fm
All of them were blind
Bb  Fm     C
Six men of Indostan
   F             C          Fm
To learning much inclined



[Verse Three]
    F
The Third approached the animal
Bbm              Fm      Cm
And happening to take
Bb            F         C
The squirming trunk within his hands
C
Thus boldly up he spake:
Db             C    B
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
   F                     C
Is very like a snake!”



[Verse Four]
         F
Then the Fourth reached out an eager hand
Bbm               F     Ab
And felt about the knee
Bbm                      F
“What most this wondrous beast is like
   C
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
Db                    C
“Tis clear enough the Elephant
               Fm
Is very like a tree!”


G F
Db F
Cm F Cm
Cm Fm



[Verse Five]
        Ab                    F
And the Fifth! who chanced to touch the ear
      Bbm                Fm
Said: ”E’en the blindest man
                   F
Can tell what this resembles most;
  C                    Db
Deny the fact who can,
            C
This marvel of an Elephant
               F      C
Is very like a fan!”



[Verse Six]
C
And the Sixth! no sooner had begun
Bbm                Fm
About the beast to grope (to grope!)
Bbm                  Fm
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
C
That fell within his scope (scope!)
Db       C
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
        F      Ab
Is very like a rope!”



[Chorus]
F                Fm
All of them were blind
Bbm              Fm
All of them were blind
Bb  Fm     C
Six men of Indostan
C
Learning much inclined
   F             C          Fm
To learning much inclined



[Closing]
    Eb
And so these men of Indostan
   Db             Fm
Disputed loud and long
C
Each in his opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong
Eb
Each was partly in the right
    Db              F
But all were in the wrong



[Moral]
   C
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
    Bbm            C
And prate about an Elephant
                    Fm
Not one of them has seen!