Empire Of The Clouds

[Intro]
Em D C D Em D
C D Em D C D Em D
C D

[Theme 1]
Em D C Em
D C Em

[Theme 2]
Am G Em F
Am G Em F

[Theme 3]
Em D C D Em D C D
Em D C D Em D
C D

[Verse 1]
            Em
To ride the storm,
to an empire of the clouds
To ride the storm,
     D                    C
they climbed aboard their silver ghost
Em
  To ride the storm,
to a kingdom that will come
                       D
To ride the storm, and damn the rest,
  C     Em
oblivion

[Chorus]
Am
Royalty and dignitaries,
G
brandy and cigars
     Em
Grey lady giant of the skies,
    F
you hold them in your arms
    Am
The millionth chance they laughed,
        G
to take down his majesty's craft
    Em
"To India," they say,
       F
"magic carpet float away,
" an October fateful day

[Interlude]
Em D C Em D C

[Verse 2]
Em               Em
  Mist is in the trees,
stone sweats with the dew
            D        C              Em
The morning sunrise, red before the blue
Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
              D            C  Em
His majesty's airship, the R101 

[Chorus]
          Am
She's the biggest vessel built by man,
  G
a giant of the skies
    Em
For all you unbelievers,
      F
the titanic fits inside
Am
Drum roll tight, her canvas skin,
G
silvered in the sun
      Em
Never tested with the fury,
         F
with the beating yet to come
The fury yet to come…

[Verse 3]
                 Em
In the gathering gloom,
the storm rising in the west
                      D               C
The coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
Em
  We must go now,
we must take our chance with fate
We must go now,
      D             C
for a politician he can't be late

[Chorus]
Em    Am                            G
  The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch,
        Em                               F
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew,
every inch
    Am
She never flew at full speed,
  G
a trial never done
    Em
Her fragile outer cover,
     F
her Achilles would become
An Achilles yet to come...

[Verse 4]
               Em
Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
             D            C
Loyal to the king, and an airship creed
Em
  The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
                 D     C              Em
Release the cords that bind us to the ground

[Chorus]
         Am
Said the coxswain, "Sir, she's heavy,
       G
she'll never make this flight."
         Em
Said the captain,
                          F
"Damn the cargo! We'll be on our way tonight.
"
Am
Groundlings cheered in wonder,
       G
as she backed off from the mast
   Em
Baptizing them her water,
         F
from the ballast fore and aft
Now she slips into our past…

[Interlude]
Em D C D Em D C D
Em D C D Em D C
D

[Theme 4]
Bsus4/F# Am/E G Dsus2/C
Em

[Theme 5]
G Em C G
Em C G Am
Bm C Dm Em

[Theme 6]
Am C Em C
Am C Em C
Am C Em C
Am C Em

[Theme 7]
Em Am C Em C
Am D C Em
C Am C D Em
C Am C D C
Em

[Solo 1]
Em C Am C D
Em C Am C D
Em C Am C D
Em C Am C D

[Theme 8]
Em C Am C
D Em C Am
C D

[Theme 9]
Em Am C Em C
Am D C Em
C Am C D Em
C Am C D C
Em Am C D

[Theme 10]
Am F Dm F
Am F Dm F

[Solo 2]
Am F Dm F G
Am F Dm F G
Am F Dm F G
Am F Dm F G

[Bridge 1]
Em
Fighting the wind as it rolls you
C
Feeling the diesels that push you along
Am
Watching The Channel below you
C                D
Lower and lower, into the night
Em
Lights are passing below you
C
Northern France, asleep in their beds
Am
Storm is raging around you
  C               D
A million to one, that's what he said

[Theme 11]
Em D C Em
Em D C Em

[Bridge 2]
Em
Reaper standing beside her
C
With his scythe cuts to the bone
Am
Panic to make a decision
  C                    D
Experienced men, asleep in their graves
    Em
Her cover is ripped and she's drowning
C
Rain is flooding into the hull
Am
Bleeding to death and she's falling
C                   D
Lifting gas is draining away

[Theme 12]
Em D C Em

[Theme 13]
Fdim Em Fdim Dm
Fdim Em Fdim C
D Fdim

[Chorus]
       Am
"We're down, lads!" came a cry,
    G
bow plunging from the sky
      Em                            F
Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
    Am                         G
The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
    Em
The empire of the clouds,
     F
just ashes in our past
Just ashes at the last…

[Interlude]
Em D C D Em D C D
Em D C D Em D C D

[Post-Chorus]
Em             D           C               D
Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
       Em                D
On the ground where they built,
        C           D
and the engines did run
       Em           D
To the moon and the stars,
    C            D
now what have we done?
       Em           D
Oh the dreamers may die,
        C           D Em D C D
but the dreams live on
       Em     D C D
Dreams live on
       Em     D C D Em D
Dreams live on
C D

[Outro]
Em D C Em
         Now a shadow on a hill,
the angel of the east
                  D          C
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
Em
  And in a country churchyard,
laid head to the mast
                D
Eight and forty souls,
    C              Em       D C Em
who came to die in France…