St. Francis Dam Disaster Chords
by Frank Black
St. Francis Dam Disaster by Frank Black is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of Em with a capo on the 1st fret. It uses the chords Em, C, G, F, D, D2 and A. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
VERSE
Em Em
C G Em Em
There was a well known water master man
C G F
He was the king
Em Em Em D G Em Em
He could do anything
C G Em Em
The St. Francis Dam Disaster man
C G F
Thought she was alright,
Em Em D G
Until around midnight
Em F C
Because that water seeks her own
D Em
She had a desire to flow
Em D D D D2 Em
She was looking for somewhere to go
verse 2
Em Em
C G Em Em
She was a slave to the great metropolis
C G F
She was feeling choked
Em Em Em D G Em Em
She pushed the wall 'till it broke
C G Em Em
when they heard the great apocalypse
C G F
At power house number two
Em Em Em D G
Well there was nothing they could do
Em F C
Because that water seeks her own
D Em
Five and one half hours she would flow
Em D Em
She had fifty-three miles to go
Em Em Em C G
Em Em Em C G F
Em Em Em D G
verse 3
Em Em Em
C G Em Em Em
A cascade down to Santa Clara way
C G F
Near sixty feet high
Em Em Em D G Em Em Em
Now she's a mile wide
C G Em Em Em
It was clear she was going far away
C G F
and whole towns were too
Em Em Em D G
A few got lucky in Piru
Em F C
Because that water seeks her own
D Em
But four more hours she would flow
Em D Em
She had twenty-nine miles more to go
Em Em Em C G
Em Em Em C G F
Em Em Em D G
verse 4
Em Em Em
C G Em Em Em
She carried in her every kind of thing
C G F
House, tree, telegraph pole
Em Em Em D G Em Em Em
Some say a thousand souls
C G Em Em Em
At three A.M. she gave Santa Paula a ring
C G F
She was still twenty-five feet high
Em Em Em D G
Under a peaceful sky
Em F C
Because that water seeks her own
D Em
But two more hours she would flow
Em (harmonics)
She had nineteen more miles to go
VERSE 5 - same chords
It was a real bad night in little saticoy
El Rio then Montalvo
How many know one really knows
Ventura beach was very scary, boy
Humanity a pile
She went her final mile
Because that water seeks her own
Into the sea the water flowed
And now for forever she would go
ENDING
D Em Em Em C G
Em Em Em C G F
Em Em Em D G
Em Em Em C G
Em Em Em C G F
Em Em Em D G
Em Em Em C
G F Em