[Intro]
[Verse]
A                         Amaj7 
Standing on the water, casting your
 bread 
Standing on the water, casting your bread 
           Bm/A                   
While the eyes of the idol with the
 E/A             A 
 iron head are glowing 
While the eyes of the idol with the iron head are glowing 
A                      Amaj7 
Distant ships sailing into the mist 
          Bm/A                       
You were born with a snake in both of
       E/A                        A
 your fists while a hurricane was  
 
 blowing 
You were born with a snake in both of your fists while a hurricane was   blowing 
Bm       E                        
Freedom just around the corner for
  A 
 you 
Freedom just around the corner for you 
          Bm               E        
But with truth so far off, what good
          A   D 
 will it do.
But with truth so far off, what good will it do.
[Chorus]
E                          D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A         E/G#        F#m        
Bird fly high by the light of the
  D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7  D6  E   A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
[Verse]
A                    Amaj7 
So swiftly the sun sets in the sky 
Bm/A             E/A                 
You rise up and say goodbye to no one
 A  D/A 
 
You rise up and say goodbye to no one 
A                    Amaj7 
Fools rush in where angels fear to
 tread 
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread 
Bm/A                       E/A   
Both of their futures, so full of
                  A 
 dread, you don't show one 
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one 
Bm            E                 A 
Shedding off one more layer of skin 
         Bm            E     
Keeping one step ahead of the
                A    D 
 persecutor within.
Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.
[Chorus]
E                      D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A         E/G#        F#m        
Bird fly high by the light of the
  D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7  D6  E   A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
[Verse]
         A                           
You're a man of the mountain, you can
   Ammaj7 
 walk on the clouds 
You're a man of the mountain, you can walk on the clouds 
      Bm/A                      E/A  
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream
          A  D/A 
 twister 
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister 
                 A 
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah 
     Amaj7                     Bm/A
But what do you care ? Ain't nobody
              E/A           A 
 there would want marry your sister
 
But what do you care ? Ain't nobody there would want marry your sister 
Bm                       E           
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the
          A 
 woman of shame 
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame 
                 Bm                E
You look into the fiery furnace, see
                         A        D 
 the rich man without any name.
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.
[Chorus]
E                         D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the
  D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7  D6  E   A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
[Verse]
          A                    
Well, the Book of Leviticus and
  Ammaj7 
 Deuteronomy 
Well, the Book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy 
     Bm/A                      E/A   
The law of the jungle and the sea are
            A    D/A 
 your only teachers 
The law of the jungle and the sea are your only teachers 
       A                         
In the smoke of the twilight on a
  Amaj7 
 milk-white steed 
In the smoke of the twilight on a milk-white steed 
Bm/A         E/A                  
Michelangeo indeed could've carved
             A 
 out your features 
Michelangeo indeed could've carved out your features 
Bm                      E          
Resting in the fields, far from the
           A 
 turbulent space 
Resting in the fields, far from the turbulent space 
          Bm                     
Half asleep near the stars with a
 E                       A    D 
 small dog licking your face.
Half asleep near the stars with a small dog licking your face.
[Chorus]
E                       D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the
  D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7 D6  E    A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
[Verse]
           A                     
Well, the rifleman's stalking the
   Ammaj7 
 sick and the lame 
Well, the rifleman's stalking the sick and the lame 
        Bm/A                      
Preacherman seeks the same, who'll
  E/A                  A      
 get there first is uncertain 
  D/A 
 
Preacherman seeks the same, who'll get there first is uncertain  
A                              
Nightsticks and water cannons, tear
 Amaj7 
 gas, padlocks 
Nightsticks and water cannons, tear gas, padlocks 
       Bm/A           E/A         
Molotow cocktails and rocks behind
         A 
 every curtain 
Molotow cocktails and rocks behind every curtain 
Bm                    E          
False-hearted judges dying in the
                A 
 webs that they spin 
False-hearted judges dying in the webs that they spin 
       Bm               E           
Only a matter of time 'til the night
                 A  D 
 comes stepping in.
Only a matter of time 'til the night comes stepping in.
[Chorus]
E                      D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A          E/G#        F#m       
Bird fly high by the light of the
  D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7  D6  E   A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
[Verse]
        A                      
It's a shadowy world, skies are
   Amaj7 
 slippery gray 
It's a shadowy world, skies are slippery gray 
   Bm/A                      E/A   
A woman just gave birth to a prince
                           A     
 today and dressed him in scarlet
 D/A 
 
A woman just gave birth to a prince today and dressed him in scarlet 
                A                  
He'll put the priest in his pocket,
          Amaj7 
 put the blade to the heat 
He'll put the priest in his pocket, put the blade to the heat 
           Bm/A                     
Take the motherless children off the
  E/A 
 street 
Take the motherless children off the street 
                        A 
And place them at the feet of a
 harlot 
And place them at the feet of a harlot 
Bm             E                 A 
Oh, Jokerman, you know what he wants
 
Oh, Jokerman, you know what he wants 
Bm             E                
Oh, Jokerman, you don't show any
     A    D 
 response.
Oh, Jokerman, you don't show any response.
[Chorus]
E                       D 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale
 tune 
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune 
A          E/G#      F#m         
Bird fly high by the light of the
 D 
 moon 
Bird fly high by the light of the moon 
C#m7 D6  E    A 
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman. 
[Outro]
| A   | Amaj7   | Bm/A   |  E/A   |  A    | D/A
| Bm  | E       | A      | A
| Bm  | E       | A      | D
| E   | D       | A  E/G# | F#m