Tesla's Hotel Room
From the album Last Days of Wonder
[INTRO]
C G C Bm
[CHORUS]
Am Em F C
In the last days of wonder when spirits still flew,
Am Em F C
where we sat holding hands in half-darkened rooms,
[VERSE 1]
C G F C
Nicola Tesla in the hotel New Yorker,
Am Em F C
nursing sick pigeons by the open window,
C G F C
dreamed of a death ray to disintegrate matter,
Am Em F C
detected Morse code from faraway planets
F C
He couldn't stand the touch of hair or of skin
Dm Am
but stroked feathers gently on trembling wings
F C
and drew plans for a camera to photograph thoughts,
Dm F C C/B
Vacuum tube lights, wireless phones
[CHORUS]
Am Em F C
In the last days of wonder when spirits still flew,
Am Em F C
'round bubbling test tubes in half-darkened rooms,
[VERSE 2]
C G F C
Edison and Westinghouse in silk brocade
Am Em F C
ate oysters Rockerfeller with French champagne.
C G F C
But Tesla grew thin eating only saltines,
Am Em F C
going days in his lab without any sleep
F C
Dreaming of god as an X-ray beam,
Dm Am
he was hit by a cab while crossing the street
F C
Lying on his bedspread he struggled to breathe
Dm F C C/B
the light bulbs exploded the air filled with wings
[CHORUS]
Am Em F C
In the last days of wonder when spirits still flew,
Am Em F C
Tesla vacated his half-darkened room
[OUTRO]
C G F C Am Em F C x 2