Gordon Lightfoot - Dont beat me down

When he was a ^Emman, my father would ^Astand I ^Cnever saw him ^Emrun There wasn't anyone could ^Amake the man ^Cbend And the ^Emstrength of his ^Dwill was the ^Ctool of his ^Atrade And he ^Emdid his work well 'Til the powers that be took a ^Aliking to ^Chim And they ^Emtraded his ^Dbody for a ^Ccold empty ^Ashell

Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} I've got ^Emsomething to say Don't you ^Astand in my ^Cway And don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C}

When I was a ^Emyouth, I found the ^Atruth In the ^Ceyes of a ^Emfriend There wasn't anyone could ^Amake the light ^Cdim And we ^Emtalked and we ^Drambled and we ^Cgambled to ^Awin And the ^Emlearning was good 'Til the powers that be took a ^Aliking to ^Chim And they ^Emtraded their ^Dfortunes for the ^Csight of his ^Ablood

When I was a ^Emchild my mother ^Asmiled At the ^Ccradle she ^Embought For the little tot she ^Aheld to her ^Cbreast And the ^Emsong that she ^Dsang was an ^Canthem to ^Alove It was ^Emall that I heard 'Til the powers that be took a ^Aliking to ^Cme And they ^Emtold me that ^Dlove was a ^Cfour-letter ^Aword

Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} I've got ^Emone life to live And that's ^Aall I can ^Cgive So don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C}

Now I've got a ^Emplace, I've got a worried ^Aface And a ^Cquestion in ^Emmind Please let me find a ^Areason some^Chow While ^Emsome reap the ^Dharvest while ^Cother men ^Adie And the ^Emjoker runs wild And if powers that be take a ^Aliking to ^Cus Then we ^Emall must re^Dturn to the ^Cways of a ^Achild We ^Emall must re^Dturn to the ^Cways of a ^Achild

So don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} I've got ^Emsomething to say Don't you ^Astand in my ^Cway And don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} I've got ^Emone life to live And that's ^Aall I can ^Cgive So don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C} Don't beat me ^Emdown ^{A C Em A C}