X: 1
T:Vacant Chair
C:Music: George F Root; Lyrics: H. S. Washburn
N:Written in 1861, about Thanksgiving time, the theme of the "vacant
N:chair" was a familiar one in Northern and Southern homes.  The song
N:commemorates the death of Lt. John William Grout, Massachusetts
N:Infantry, who was killed at Ball's Bluff in October, 1861.
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:D
|:"@Slowly, with feeling"A,3/2A,/2|"D"A,3 "@VERSES"A, B,A,|A, D3 A,3/2A,/2|"A7"A,3 A, B,A,
w:1.We shall meet, but we shall miss him. There will be one va-cant
w:2.At our fire-side sad and lone-ly. Of-ten will the bo-som
w:3.True they tell us wreaths of glo-ry ev-er-more will deck his
|E4 A,3/2A,/2|"D"F3 E DC|"G"C B,3 F3/2E/2|"D"D3 C "A7"B,C
w:chair; We shall lin-ger to ca-ress him While we breath our ev'n-ing
w:swell; At re-mem-brance of the sto-ry How our no-ble Wil-lie
w:brow; But this soothes the an-guish on-ly Sweep-ing o'er our heart-string
|"D"D4 CD|"A"E3 E "E7"DB,|"A"C E3 E3/2A/2|"E7"^G3 F ED
w:prayer. When one year a-go we gath-ered, Joy was in his mild blue
w:fell; How he strove to bear our ban-ner, Thro' the thick-est of the
w:now; Sleep to-day O'er ear-ly fal-len, In thy green and nar-row
|"A"C4 C3/2D/2|"E7"E3 E DB,|"A"C E3 A3/2A/2|"E7"^G3 E DB,|"A"A,4||
w:eye. Now the gold-en cord is sev-ered, And our hopes in ru-in lie.
w:fight, And up-hold our coun-tries hon-or In the strength of man-hood's might.
w:bed, Dir-ges from the pine and cy-prus Min-gle with the tears we shed.
|"A7"A,3/2A,/2|"D"A,3 "@CHORUS"A, B,A,|A, D3 A,3/2A,/2|"A7"A,3 A, B,A,|E4 A,3/2A,/2
w:We shall meet but we shall miss him, There will be one va-cant chair; We shall
|"D"F3 E DC|"G"C B,3 F3/2E/2|"D"D3 C "A7"B,C|1"D"D4:|3!fermata!"D"D4||
w:lin-ger to ca-ress him While we breathe our ev'n-ing prayer. prayer.