For The Love Of It All

Words and music by Noel Paul Stookey © 1991 Newworld Media Music Publishers (ASCAP) Lead Vocals: Noel Paul Stookey and Emmy Lou Harris

These fingerings are not intended to be strummed like chords. Instead they are to be plucked arpeggio-style. Until we can find a way to display guitar tablature on this WEB page, you will have to listen to the recording to emulate the arpeggio pattern. Noel Paul Stookey explains, "The arpeggio is missing and to a large extent IT is what makes sense out of these open chords."

All chords are referenced to the first fret unless otherwise indicated by a number at the right of the diagram. That indicates a fret number to use for position. Any strings which have an X' above are not to be played. Tuning is dropped-D (D A D G B E)

INTRO
        
1   2   3   1   2   3   1   2   3



                 
4         5                       6
IN THE BE-GINNING, AS LIFE BECAME FORM,
                            
           7                          8
THE OCEANS HEAVED, THE MOUNTAINS WERE CLEAVED,
           
              9  - 10
THE FIRMAMENT STORMED.
                     

                 11               12 - 13
AT THE CENTER OF BEING, IMMENSELY SMALL
                          
                  15                16
WAS THE MASTER OF NOW, DON'T ASK ME HOW
             
               17
THE LOVE OF IT ALL.
          

                     5
AND THE SEASONS WERE MANY.
           
             6
CREATION WAS NEW.
                         
               7                 8
AND THERE ON A TREE (DECEPTIVELY FREE)
         
            9  - 10
A FORBIDDEN FRUIT
                         

                 11                12  - 13
UPON LEAVING THE GARDEN, AFTER THE FALL,
                            
              15                     16
ONE THING WAS CLEAR; WE CHOSE NOT TO HEAR
             
               17
THE LOVE OF IT ALL.
          

                       18  - 19  - 20
BUT FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL
        
           23  22
I WOULD GO ANY-WHERE.
          
       23          22
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH,
        
    25         26       10
OH, WHAT IS IT WORTH IF LOVE COULD BE THERE?
                              
            11                             12 - 13 - 14
WALKING THE THIN LINE BETWEEN FEAR AND THE CALL
                         
              15                  16
ONE LEARNS TO BEND AND FINALLY DE-PEND
                                
                  9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 17
ON THE LOVE OF IT ALL
          

              5
"IRRESISTIBLE TARGETS"
              
                6
I HEARD SOMEONE SAY.
                    
                      7
THEY WERE SPEAKING OF ANGELS
                        
               8                 9  - 10
WHO ARE SO COU-RAGEOUS DAY AFTER DAY
                                

                 11                      12  - 13
GUNNED DOWN ON A HIGHWAY (AS WE OFTEN RE-CALL)
                  
         15               16
I HEAR A SCREAM; I HAVE A DREAM
             
               17
THE LOVE OF IT ALL

          

                      5
STILL THE WORLD IS IN LABOR,
                
                  6
SHE GROANS IN TRA-VAIL.
                
                   7
SHE CRIES WITH THE EAGLE, THE DOLPHIN,
                   
    8                        9  - 10
SHE SIGHS IN THE SONG OF THE WHALE.
                     
                       11
WHILE THE HEART OF HER PEOPLE
          
             12  - 13
PRAYS AT THE WALL.
                       
            15                  16
A SPIRIT IN-SIDE IS PREPARING A BRIDE
                
                   17
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL
          

                   18  - 19  - 20
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL,
              
         23            22
LIKE THE STARS AND THE SUN,
            
       23            22
WE ARE HEARTS ON THE RISE,
      
25       26            10
SEPARATE EYES WITH THE VISION OF ONE.
                         
              11                    12  - 13  - 14
NO VALLEY TOO DEEP, NO MOUNTAIN TOO TALL,
                                   
                     15                    16
WE CAN TURN BACK THE NIGHT WITH MERELY THE LIGHT

                
                   17
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL.
          

                     
              5                            6
AND SO WE ARE MARCHING TO 'TO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE'
                               
            7         8                   9 - 9 - 9 - 10
BROTHER AND SISTER AS ONE IN THIS MYSTERY DANCE.
                                 
              11                            12  - 13
LONG AGO ON A HILLTOP WHERE NOW THE CURIOUS CRAWL
                           
           15                      16
A MAN ON A CROSS PAID THE ULTIMATE COST
                
                   17
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL
          

                   18  - 19  - 20
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL
          
       23          22
WE ARE GATHERED BY GRACE
            
        23           22
WE HAVE FOLLOWED OUR HEARTS
      
   25          26
TO TAKE UP OUR PARTS

   10
IN THIS TIME AND PLACE.
            
              11
HANDS FOR THE HARVEST,
               
                   12  - 13  - 14
HEAR THE CENTURIES CALL:
                            
                    15                16
IT IS STILL NOT TOO LATE TO COME CELE-BRATE
                
                   17
FOR THE LOVE OF IT ALL
                       
                         16
"ELI, ELI, LEMANA SHABAK-THANI"
                               
               9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 9 - 17
THE LOVE OF IT ALL