Elbows

Capo 5th fret 
 
G  C  G  Em  Em 
 
           G                                    C       G 
On a warm night in March on a dark disco floor 
      Em 
I danced up a storm like I'd never before 
            C                   D          G 
Every step in the book and then some that weren't listed 
Am                                                Em            D 
For a song or two I felt nothing else existed 
 
G                                       C       G 
Now if a dream curled at your feet you'd take it home and name it 
          Em 
I'm struggling now to find something to blame it on 
C              D                  G 
Strobing effects or perhaps it was that dress 
Am                                                   Em         D 
But my eye was captured by a beautiful actress 
 
                G               C               G 
Now the minutiae's still my memory writ large 
Em  
As she danced nearer me with her coy entourage 
C                       D                       G 
She tugged at the scarf round her neck it came loose 
Am                                         C            G               G 
She flung it and hung it from the disc jockey's booth 
 
         C              D         Em             C 
But before I continue one moments reprieve 
C                                       G  
I grant you dear audience a chance to leave 
        C               D             Em          C 
For my tale never ends in that it never started 
C                                                         D  
When the house lights came on I'd already departed 
 
G                                          C            G 
No not one word was spoken nor a glance exchanged  
                Em 
When the sun rose next morning the world hadn't changed 
        C               D               G  
See we only touched elbows is the plain naked truth 
Am                                      C            G                  G 
And I can't even back up my story with proof 
 
Gm                                      C               G 
We only touched elbows, felt our bones clunk together 
Em 
Then the moment was over in a falling feather 
C               D               G 
An accident sure but it happened I'll wrangle 
Am                                      Em                      Em        Em             D 
Our elbows did touch our arms at right angles 
 
                G                       C               G 
Now there's naught the nosey observer could've guessed 
 Em 
But the rock and roll drummer inside of my chest 
C                       D                        G  
Everyone's seen her films and I'll whisper her name 
        Am                              C                G 
That we only touched elbows is not such a shame 
 
                C               D               Em              C 
For the world's getting crowded and I can't see a lapse 
C                                               G 
It's not about leaving spaces but filling the gaps 
                C               D            Em         C 
We're all bumping and knocking strangers all the time 
C                                                          D 
Sometimes we don't notice, mostly we don't mind 
 
G                       C               G 
A foot brushes your ankle on a peak hour bus 
         Em 
Someone's hand on the small of your back as they pass 
C            D             G 
A shopkeepers fingers while handing you change 
 Am                                                       Em               D 
Can lightly brush yours without feeling too strange  
 
              G                 C       G 
But why I felt so alive I can't quite determine 
Em 
There could be a word to explain it in German 
        C               D         G 
Some take others home waking up to regret it 
Am                                              Em         
We only touched elbows and I'll never forget it 
 
D   G   C        G   
C    G   Em    Em    
C    D    G      
Am   Am    Em     D 
G   C  G   Em  Em  
C   D  G   Am  
Em  Em 
 
                G               C               G 
Now the innocent DJ still spins his black moons 
Em                                              Em 
And keeps us all moving with his faithful tunes 
C              D                        G 
And the lights nod in synch, they're mechanically powered 
Am                                         C            G 
We only touched elbows and I still haven't showered