"Botswana" is from "Punch the Big Guy", Line Records 1987.
This is a mighty song. Goes straight to the heart.

Botswana           John Stewart

Capo 2nd fret

(Charlie says: Add G-note on high E-string to chords except Am,
--so it?s really F9, C5?you don?t have to do it all the time--)
Play first four strings only on intro

(F) (C/E) (G/D) (C)  (F) (C/E) (G/D) (C)
Oh I live in California,
I can (G)look out at the ocean,
On the (F)silver blue Pa(C)cific,
It is (F)always (C)there to (G)see.
But (C)I'm so busy working
That I (G)don't have time to see it,
But it's the (F)knowing that it's (C)there
That (F)means a (C)lot to (G)me.

And it makes it (Am)hard
When I close my (G)eyes,
When (C)I can see the pictures,
(G)Taken at Botswanna,
The (F)pictures of the (C)children
With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.
Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

And those with all the money,
They are (G)having nervous breakdowns,
And they're (F)always taking (C)pills
To make them (F)feel the (C)other(G)wise.
Oh, how (C)could I ever stumble
Or com(G)plain that things aren?t going right?
How (F)could I ever (C)fail
To see (F)rainbows (C)in the (G)skies?

And it makes it (Am)hard
When I close my (G)eyes,
Because (C)I can see the pictures
(G)Taken at Botswanna,
The (F)pictures of the (C)children
With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.
Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

Oh, faith it is a fire,
And it's (G)fanned by the winds of thanks,
I am (F)worried of our (C)numbers,
And I'm (F)worried (C)of our (G)ranks,
As we (C)fire up the Porsches,
(G)Fighting to survive,
And we (F)look for valet (C)parking
(F)Out on (C)Rodeo (G)Drive.

It makes it (Am)hard,
I wonder if God (G)cries,
(C)When he sees the pictures
(G)Taken at Botswanna,
The (F)pictures of the (C)children
With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes
Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

And I'm (F)not my brother's keeper,
For I (Em)do not have the power,
Is it (Dm)part of some great (C)game
That they (F)play on the (C)other (G)side?
Because it's (F)all that I can do
To just (Em)keep myself together,
(Dm)Still I see the (C)faces
In the (F)blue pa(C)cific (G)tide.

And it makes it (Am)hard
When I close my (G)eyes,
And (C)I can see the pictures,
(G)Taken at Botswanna,
The (F)pictures of the (C)children
With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes.
Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

Is it not for us to wonder?
Is it (G)not for us to question?
Is it (F)not for us to (C)cry out,
"This (F)cannot (C)be de(G)nied?"
For (C)we are but a family
Without (G)walls, but we have waters,
And (F)every face you (C)see,
Is (F)you and (C)it is (G)I.

And it makes it (Am)hard
When you close your (G)eyes,
And (C)you can see the pictures
(G)Taken at Botswanna, (F) (C) (G) (F)   (C)
Oh, the (F)pictures of the (C)children,
Mm (G)mm m mm (F)mm, (C)
Yeah, the (F)pictures of the (C)children
With the (G)flies in their (F)eyes
Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo domi-(C)no,
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.
(F)Ohhhhh(C/E)hh, (G/D)credo dom-i-(C)no.

? John Stewart, All Rights Reserved

janhauenstein@gmx.de & Charlie Woodward
(The team)