Hands of Joseph

 

                        D

1. When they looked at Joseph's hands.

                                          G                         D

    they said, “They're the hands of a carpenter,

                                                                             A        - E - A

    they're big and they're powerful and they're strong.”

                              D

    Oh, they're the hands that should work in wood,

                              G                                             Em

    and they're the hands that should work a long day.

               D                                                         A                               D

    Now, Joseph he did all those things, but he also learned how to play.

 

D                                          Bm

    He would sing about joy, sing about pain,

                G        A                 D

that the people wished they had.

                                             F#m

How they heard the voice of Jesus,

                 E                      A

when the rolling sea got mad.

              D             Bm                 G              Em

He's a boat in the harbour, he's safe in that love,

      F#m               D                A           D

he knows some day he'll be sailing above.

 

                               D

2. Now when they looked at Joseph's hands,

                                          G                             D

    they said, “They're the hands of a stonemason,

                                                                                      A       - E - A

    well, they're big and they're powerful and they're strong.

                         D                                          Bm

    They're the hands that should work with stone,

                              G                                             Em

    and they're the hands that should work a long day. “

               D                                                          A                               D

    Now, Joseph, he did all those things, but he also learned how to play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D                                          Bm

    He would sing about joy, sing about pain,

                G        A                 D

that the people wished they had.

                                             F#m

How they heard the voice of Jesus,

                 E                      A

when the rolling sea got mad.

              D             Bm                 G              Em

He's a boat in the harbour, he's safe in that love,

      F#m               D                A           D

he knows some day he'll be sailing above.

 

                        D

3. When they looked at Joseph's hands,

                                          G                             D

    they said, “They're the hands of a stonemason,

                                                               A       - E - A

    he’s a musician and a mason-carpenter. “

                     D                 Bm                                                

    And he's happy all the time,

                    G                  Em     

    he's still working every day,

                      D                                     A                   D

    and those old hands of Joseph, oh how you can play.

 

+ CHORUS

 

    (Ralph McTell)