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Too Late

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Outtake from the Infidels sessions.

Harmonically quite reminiscent of Abandoned Love, with the characteristic G-D-Em-C sequence. Lyrically, it is a direct forerunner of Foot Of Pride (which becomes even more evident with the release of the so called “Band Version”, which has a transcription of the lyrics in the official video).

The jury’ still out regarding some of the lyrics. The first line should probably begin “Whether”. The Rosetta Blake line is given based on the authority of Terry Gans’ book, although that’s not exactly what is sung. The lyrics on the whole are emended based on the discussion at Expecting Rain.

G    C/g            

G
Whether there was a murder 
D                     Em
I don't know, I can't say,
      C                    G   C/g  G  C/g
I was visiting a friend in jail.
           G 
There were only two women 
       D
at the scene at the time
Em                         C
 Neither one of them saw a thing,
                  G             C/g  G
both of them were wearing veils
                   C           Csus4
They said it was a natural situation
        C
that he reached too high, 
           Csus4       C    |: Csus4 C :|
tumbled back to the ground
                   D
You know what they say about 
                    Dsus4       D
being nice to people on the way up,
                          G                Am
sooner or later you might meet them coming down.
           G                     Em
Well, it's too late to bring him back 
          C
Too late, too late, too late,
D                     G              C/g   G  C/g
Too late, too late to bring him back
         G
He had a brother named Paul 
        D                  Em
hangin' out at the Café Royal 
              C              G
where all the company is mixed
G
Pretty to look at,
   D
he wants someone to throw the book at
Em 
 but you know he drinks, 
    C                  G
and drinks can be fixed.
        C             
Sing me one more song 
           Csus4         
about your summer romance
   C                         
Or maybe that one about your 
Csus4                            |: C Csus4 :|     
one-night stand with Errol Flynn 
         D                   
In these times of compassion 
        Dsus4               
when conformity's in fashion
D                               
Say one more stupid thing to me 
  G              Am              
before the final nail's driven in
              G                     Em
You know it's too late to bring him back 
C                   D                     G
Too late, Too late, Too late to bring him back
    G
Dr. Silverspoon 
         D
from the Ecstasy Ballroom 
Em              C
 He's a retired businessman 
              G
who feeds off everyone he's touched
         G
He gives money to the church,
       E
to foundations of research
Em
 He's not someone you can 
C                     G
 play around with too much
          C
There's a Rosetta Blake 
      Csus4                      C
who's been to both sides of the lake
                       Csu4          C
she's rough to look at but she's fit
                D                 Dsus4
She'll feed you coconut bread and spiced buns in bed
        D
and you won't have to worry about 
D7                Am
sleepin' with you head face down in the plate.
         G                     Em
But it's too late to bring him back 
C                   D
Too late, Too late, Too late, 
              G
it's too late to bring him back
      G                D
Gonna arrange to see a man tonight
      Em                   C
He'll tell you some secret things 
                            G
that you think might open some doors
       G                     D
How to enter in the gates of paradise? 
    Em
No, not really.
       C                   G
More like going crazy from carrying 
               C/g              G  C/g
a burden never meant to be yours
         C                          Csus4         C
From the stage they'll be doing the bumps and the grinds

A whore will pass the hat, collect a hundred grand

say "Well, boys - thanks!"
             D                        Dsus4
They like to take all this money from sin, 
      D
build big castles to study in,
              D7           Am                            D7
They'll sing Amazing Grace all the way to the Swiss bank
           G                     Em
Well, it's too late to bring him back 
C                   D
Too late, Too late, Too late, 
                 G             C/g   G    C/g
it's too late to bring him back
G   Em   C   D    
G   C/g  G

Extra verse in the so called “Band Version”:

They got some serious people out there, man
they can ring your bell and show you
how to hold your tongue.

They don’t come to party, man, 
they kill babies in the crib and say:
“Only the good die young.”

They don’t believe in mercy,
and judgement on them
is something you’ll never see. 

They can put your face on a postage stamp,
turn your home into an armed camp,
any way they want you, that’s the way you’ll be

Yes, I guess I loved him too,
I still see him in my mind, climbin’ that hill
Or was it a wall?
I don’t recall,
It don’t matter all all, honey, and it never will.
Ain’t nothin’ left here, partner, 
just the dust of fools that have left their mark in spades.
From now on, this’ll be where you’re from 
Let the dead bury the dead. Your time will come
Feel that hot iron glowing now as you raise the shade

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