Bm ...

     Bm   C#              D        B
That Mr McArthur's looked all over town,
       G             F#m             G         F#7
But he won't find me now for I'm off coastward bound.
        Bm          C#            D              B
And I'm trading the smog for some fresh salt sea air
          G           F#7         Bm....
And he'll never catch on that I'm there.

  Bm              C#              D             B
I once was his apprentice, in the clock-making trade,
         G             F#m            G          F#7
And the miser made me work for every penny of my wage.
        Bm                 C#            D           B
Til he found he could replace me with a clockwork machine,

And he threw me right out on the street.

G                          Em
I'm not the kind who would grovel and pray
        F#add4                 E
That he deign to recant and permit to stay,
G/D                            F#madd4                  Bm
So I cursed him and left and I solemnly swore that he'd pay.

     Bm   C#         D        B
Now Mr McArthur has very poor eyes,
       G         F#m             G         F#7
And he never did see me when he left work at night.
    Bm          C#            D         B
And once in a while he would forget to check
          G             F#7         Bm....
That his workshop back window was closed.


     Bm       C#              D        B
No I'm not a burglar and I'm no vandal nor.
        G           F#m           G               F#7
The old man had to suffer, but I wanted something more:
   Bm           C#           D          B
I wanted him to feel it and know it was me,

And I knew that his clocks were the key.


G                          Em
I sat in his workshop, my thoughts running wild,
        F#add4                  E
Then it suddenly hit me, and I looked up and I smiled
G/D                                F#madd4                Bm   Em  Bm  Em
For I knew that I'd have him and I knew that I'd do it in style.

G7....

   Bm             C#          D        B
I tell you that clockwork's a powerful thing;
           G        F#m              G              F#7
There's a terrible strength in those tightly wound springs.
       Bm          C#          D           B
And a gentleman's pocketwatch stays by his heart,
    G                F#7         Bm....
And that's where the damage can start.


     Bm        C#             D           B
Now I'm no machine but I can work when I choose,
     G             F#m            G           F#7
With hands good as any when I've something to prove.
      Bm            C#          D                 B
So I stayed up all night among cogs, springs and screws,
      G           F#7         Bm....
And I didn't stop till I was through.



G                          Em
I rigged up a watch to do more than just chime ,
       F#add4                  E
And I didn't baulk once at the depth of my crime -
G/D                           F#madd4               Bm   Em  Bm  Em
A most perfect invention that still kept impeccable time.

G7....
Bm....
G7....
Bm....
G7....


     Bm           C#              D         B
The next week a young man stopped by in the shop,
       G          F#m           G           F#7
Took a shine to a timepiece and paid on the spot.
    Bm           C#              D        B
He wound it, and wore it, and at 6 on the dot
   G          F#       F#7        Bm
He came to a messy and permanent stop.


    Bm   C#           D            B
Now Mr McArthur's got blood on his hands,
       G           F#m         G       F#7
And he barely made bail, he's a ruined man,
     Bm       C#            D            B
And surely he knows who his downfall was planned by,
     G          F#7      Bm
It's all worked out like clockwork.