Sold My Bishop, Bought the Time

Verse 1

Pawn to d4, pawn to c4 1.d4 d5 2.c4

Knight to c3, knight to f3 2...e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3

He builds his wall on c6, e6

Bishop to g5, he plays h6 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 h6

Bishop takes f6, his queen takes back 6.Bxf6 Qxf6

Both bishops his, the hours mine

Chorus

Pawn to d4, pawn to c4 1.d4 d5 2.c4

Knight to c3, knight to f3 2...e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3

Bishop to g5, bishop takes f6 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6

Sold that bishop, time ain't free

Verse 2

Pawn to e3, bishop to e2 7.e3 Nd7 8.Be2

Castles short, I take on d5 8...g6 9.O-O Bg7 10.cxd5

Pawn to b4, pawn to a4 10...exd5 11.b4 a6 12.a4

Pawn to b5, his c-pawn cries 12...O-O 13.b5

He plays a5, digs in his heels 13...a5

Don't shove e4, his d-pawn keeps it

Chorus

Pawn to d4, pawn to c4 1.d4 d5 2.c4

Knight to c3, knight to f3 2...e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3

Bishop to g5, bishop takes f6 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6

Sold that bishop, time ain't free

Bridge

Calm as a harbour, half the nights a draw

His queen on f6 sits in the cold

My target waits on c6

I come with the pawns, I come slow

Chorus

Pawn to d4, pawn to c4 1.d4 d5 2.c4

Knight to c3, knight to f3 2...e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3

Bishop to g5, bishop takes f6 4...Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6

Sold that bishop, time ain't free

Outro

Sold that bishop, time ain't free

Pawn to e3, come walk with me 7.e3

The song follows the line master practice actually walks: the bishop is given on f6 to drag the queen out early, then the quiet 7.e3 set-up, the c4xd5 exchange that leaves Black the queenside majority and White the minority, and the slow b4–a4–b5 squeeze aimed at the c6 pawn — a calm, draw-heavy opening by the measured master sample, which is exactly the weary barroom waltz the lyrics are built to be hummed to.