Intro: E5 C#5 F#5 B5 E5 C#5 F#5 B5 E5 C#5 F#5 B5 Skimbleshanks the E5 C#5 F#5 B5 Railway Cat, E5 B5 F#5 the Cat of the Railway E5 C#5 F#5 B5 Train E5 B5 C#5 E5 There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty nine A5 D5 A5 E5 When the Night Mail's ready to depart F#5 B5 Saying, "Skimble, where is Skimble? E+2 E5 Has he gone to hunt the thimble? Ab5 A5 A5 E5 We must find him or the train can't start" E5 B5 All the guards and all the porters C#5 E5 And the station master's daughters A5 D5 A5 A5 E5 Would be searching high and low F#5 B5 E5 E5 Saying "Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble Ab5 A5 A5 E5 Then the night mail just can't go." E5 G5 F#5 At eleven forty two with the signal overdue E5 G5 F#5 E5 And the passengers all frantic to a man A5 E5 F#m11 E5 That's when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear A5 E5 F#m11 I'd been busy in the luggage van! B5 E5 B5 C#5 E5 Then he gave one flash of his glass green eyes A5 D5 A5 A5 E5 And the signal went "All Clear!" F#5 B5 E5 E5 Ab5 A5 A5 They'd be off at last for the northern part of the Northern Hemi E5 C#5 F#5 {sphere {Skimbleshanks B5 E5 C#5 the Railway F#5 B5 Cat E5 B5 A5 E5 C#5 F#5 The Cat of the Railway Train B5 E5 B5 C#5 E5 You could say that by and large it was me who was in charge A5 D5 Of the Sleeping Car A5 E5 F#5 B5 E5 E5 Express, from the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards Ab5 A5 A5 E5 I would supervise them all more or less E5 B5 C#5 E5 Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces A5 D5 A5 A5 E5 Of the travellers in the first and the third F#5 B5 E5 E5 He establishes control by a regular patrol Ab5 A5 A5 E5 And he'd know at once if anything occurred E5 G5 A5 F#5 He would watch you without winking and he saw what you were thinking R A5 G5 F#5 A5 E5 And it's certain that he didn't approve A5 E5 F#5 E5 Of hilarity and riot so the folk were very quiet A5 E5 F#m11 When Skimble was about and on the move B5 E5 B5 C#5 E5 You could play no pranks with Skimbleshanks! A5 D5 A5 A5 E5 He's a cat that cannot be ignored F#5 B5 E5 E5 So nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail Ab5 A5 A5 E5 When Skimbleshanks was aboard E5 E5 B5 E5 B5 It was very pleasant when they'd found their little den E5 B5 With their name written up on the door. Woo! Woo! E5 B5 And the berth was very neat with a newly folded sheet And not a speck of dust upon the floor E5 B5 There was every sort of light You could make it dark or bright And a button you could turn to make a breeze Woo! Woo! E5 B5 And a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in And a crank to shut the window should you sneeze A5 D5 G5 E5 Then the guard looked in politely and would ask you very brightly, A5 E5 "Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?" A5 E5 F#5 E5 But I was just behind him and was ready to remind him A5 E5 F#5 (2 bars) For Skimble won't let anything go wrong E5 B5 C#5 E5 A5 D5 A5 A5 E5 When they crept into their cosy berths and pulled up the counterpane A5 B5 E5 E5 They all could reflect that it was very nice A5 B5 E5 E5 To know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice A5 B5 E5 E5 They could leave all that to the Railway Cat Ab5 A5 A5 E5 The Cat of the Railway Train F5 D5 G5 Skimbleshanks C5 F5 D5 the Railway G5 C5 Cat F5 C5 G5 The Cat of the Railway F5 D5 G5 C5 Train F5 C5 D5 F5 In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright Bb5 Eb5 Bb5 F5 Every now and then I'd have a cup of tea G5 C5 F+2 F5 With perhaps a drop of scotch while I was keeping on the watch A5 Bb5 Bb5 F5 Only stopping here and there to catch a flea F5 C5 D5 F5 They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew Bb5 Eb5 Bb5 F5 That I was walking up and down the station G5 C5 F5 F5 They were sleeping all the while I was busy at Carlisle A5 Bb5 Bb5 F5 Where I met the station master with elation F5 Ab5 G5 They might see me at Dumfries if I summoned the police F5 Ab5 G5 F5 If there was anything they ought to know about Bb5 F5 G5 F5 When they got to Gallowgate there they did not have to wait Bb5 F5 G/11 For Skimbleshanks would help them to get out! C5 C5 C5 And he F5 C5 D5 F5 gives you a wave of his long brown tail Bb5 F5 Which says "I'll see you again! G5 C5 F5 F5 You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail A5 Bb5 Bb5 F5 The Cat of the Railway Train!" F5 C5 D5 F5 Bb5 F5 G5 C5 F5 A5 Bb5 Bb5 F5 (2 bars) The Cat of the Railway Train