Lake Placid Blues

Am                G                  Am
At the time I was too young for the meaning
Am                    G                  Am
But it's become much clearer through the years
Am            G                   F
We gathered round the boy in his army clothes
         Dm           Em              Am
Said goodbye and his mother shed her tears

Am             G               Am
Every day she watched for the postman
Am                    G             Am
But the long awaited letter was over due
Am            G             F
It's not the silence that makes you crazy
          Dm         Em               Am
It's the sound of a heart breaking in two

F        G             Am
Then it came across the ocean
       F            G               Am
It was hard to understand the awful news
F            G             Am
I don't know why I still remember
   Dm                 Em          Am
I guess it's just the Lake Placid Blues

I turned 18 and left that part of the country
Went down on the Padre Island coast
Of all the hard times I still remember
The repossession of the guitar hurt the most

The paupers stood in line outside the mission
And I huddled there beside them in the rain
A priest came to the door with empty eyes
I could see he no longer felt their pain

Some were searchin' for forgiveness
And others only wanted food
I needed more than I could ask for
There is no comfort with the Lake Placid Blues

It's hard to find good friends in a lifetime
You can usually count 'em on one hand
I shivered by the fire and the dawn was breakin'
And I scattered his ashes on the sand

And the silver cranes came over in formation
In a sacred manner they flew
And I will always remember
The sky, the Lake Placid Blues