Harvey Andrews - Impressions
[Intro]
Em
[Verse 1]
Em
When Prussians came to take the house
D
I could not stop them then
B7
They filled the rooms with horses
Em
With sheep as well as men
Am
I tried for poor old Camille’s sake
Em
For M'sieur Monet too
Am
But they were Prussian soldiers
B7
There was little I could do
[Verse 2]
Em
Camille had fled to England
D
M'sieur Monet followed on
B7
When war came both made certain
Em
That they never saw a gun
Am
They left me to look after
Em
All the things they left behind
Am
But so much in so small a house
B7
The troops were sure to find
[Verse 3]
G
The store room full of paintings
D
Fifteen years of Camille’s life
B7
Pictures of our village
Em
Of his children and his wife
G
And when the rain made good earth mud
D
And rivers of the lanes
C
The soldiers laid them end to end
B7 Em
And walked on canvassed frames
[Verse 4]
Em
The colours and the pigments merged
D
And M'sieur Monet’s blue
B7
Joined the reds, the greens, the browns
Em
To form another hue
Am
And poor Camille’s 'Plein Air' became
Em
A blackened, blasted land
Am
As boots tore holes with muddied soles
B7
Sent from the fatherland
[Verse 5]
Em
They burned the rest for daily warmth
D
The paint and oil were good
B7
And gave more heat to blistered feet
Em
Than shower dampened wood
C
But when they left I tried to clean
Em
The pictures that I found
Am
By Camille and his friend Monet
B7
Deep trodden in the ground
[Verse 6]
G
But why I bothered I don’t know
D
Camille’s a silly fool
B7
No one buys his paintings
Em
They’re all laughing as a rule
G
And M'sieur Monet’s eyes can’t see
D
He’s never finished yet
C
No details, just impressions
B7 Em
Is the best that he can get
[Verse 7]
Em
When they return and find the truth
D
Maybe they’ll see the light
B7
And do an honest job for once
Em
It never has seemed right
Am
A life spent painting pictures
Em
We all wonder why they try
Am
"See this one here, yes, take it, sir"
B7
A M'sieur Monet sky
Em B7 Em
That no one wants to buy