• Song:

    Her Majesty The Decemberists Album

  • Artist:

    Decemberists

I. Shanty for the Arethusa
II. Billy Liar
III. Los Angeles, I'm Yours
IV. The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
V. The Bachelor and the Bride
VI. Song for Myla Goldberg
VII. The Soldiering Life
VIII. Red Right Ankle
IX. The Chimbley Sweep
X. I Was Meant for the Stage
XI. As I Rise

I. Shanty for the Arethusa
Tabbed By: lucky69

Em                    Bb               F              Em
  We set to sail on a   packet full of spice, rum and tea-leaves. 
We've emptied out all the bars and the bowery hotels
Em F#   G                           G/B G                          Em    
          Tell your daughters do not      walk the streets alone tonight 
Em F#   G                           E F# G                          B7
          Tell your daughters do not       walk the streets alone tonight
 B7 B7/A G   Em
(La da   dum dum )

Tell the tale of the jewess and the mandarin chinese boy 
He led her down from her gilded canopy of cloth. 
And through her blindfold she could make out the figures there before her 
And how the air was thick with incense, cardamom and myrrh

B7 B7/A G

C/G                       Em     Em F# G
  So goodnight, boys, goodnight
C/G                        B7
  Say goodnight, boys, goodnight
B7 B7/A G   Em
La da   dum dum

Em C G D B7
La da dum dum...

We set to sail on a clipper that's bound for South Australia 
The weather's warm there, the natives are dark and nubile. 
But if you listen, quiet, you can hear the footsteps on the cross-trees 
The ghosts of sailors passed, their spectral bodies clinging to the shrouds. 

So goodnight, boys, goodnight 
Say goodnight, boys, goodnight

B7 B7/A G   Em
La da dum dum
Em C G D B7   (x2)   Em
La da dum dum...

II. Billy Liar
Tabbed By: Damsk1849

Standard Tuning: EADGBe

G/F# : (2x0033)


VERSE I
                     G            G/F#    Em
Billy Liar's got his hands in his pockets
                    A                         Em
Staring over at his neighbor's, knickers down.
A                          Em        A        D
He's got his knickers down.
                 G        G/F#     Em
So the summer is eternity for you?
                       A                        Em
Sleeping in until your father's shaking you down
A                     Em        A
He's shaking you down.
        G
And the mailroom shift gets a real short shrift
       F#m                                                   Em
As you dole out the packages, no-one seems to want you around
A              Em    A
All skullking around.

CHORUS
D        F#m      Bm      G
Let your legs loll on the lino
D         F#m         Bm        G    
'Til your sinews spoil
D        F#m      Bm     G
Will you stay here for awhile, dear,
D        F#m  Bm       Em
'Til the radio,  plays something familiar?
      A                   D
Plays something familiar.

SOLO
( D )                         G   G/F#         Em
e-------------------------------------------------- | 
B---------------------------3---0-----0------------ | 
G-------------------0-2-4----------2--------------- | 
D-------------0-2-4-------------------------------- | 
A-------------------------------------------------- | 
E-------------------------------------------------- | 

                A              Em
e-------------------------------------------------- | 
B-------------2-3---0-----0------------------------ | 
G-------0-2-4----------2--------------------------- | 
D---2-4------------------------2------------------- | 
A-------------------------------------------------- | 
E-------------------------------------------------- | 

                     A                  Em
e----(5)--(3)--(2)--(0)---------------------------- | 
B-------------------------------------------------- | 
G---------------------------2h4--2----------------- | 
D-----------------------------------4---2---------- | 
A-------------------------------------------------- | 
E-------------------------------------------------- | 

                     A        D
e----(5)--(3)--(2)--(0) | 
B---------------------- | 
G---------------------- | 
D---------------------- | 
A---------------------- | 
E---------------------- | 

VERSE II (Same Chords)
D                  G       G/F#    Em
All a-drifting, he's the nogood boyo
                      A               Em
Sent a-fishing for a whalebone corset frame
A                    Em     A    D
(The only catch all day)

D                       G   G/F#  Em
So he sits and lets the current take him
                            A              Em   
A gentle breeze will leave his pants in disarray
A                    Em
And at his ankles laid.

       G                  
As he drifts to sleep with a moan and a weep
       F#m                                            Em
He is decked by a Japanese geisha with a garland of pearls
A                      Em
How she twists and twirls!

CHORUS
D        F#m      Bm      G
Let your legs loll on the lino
D         F#m         Bm        G    
'Til your sinews spoil
D        F#m      Bm     G
Will you stay here for awhile, dear,
D        F#m  Bm     Em
'Til the radio plays something familiar
      A
Plays something familiar
      Em
Plays something familiar
      A
Plays something familiar

OUTRO
   Em                       A
e--3--3--2--2--0--0----0----------------------------- | 
B--------------------3---3--2--2--3--3--4--4--5--5--- | 
G---------------------------------------------------- | 
D---------------------------------------------------- | 
A---------------------------------------------------- | 
E---------------------------------------------------- | 

Em
Bah bah bah bah bah bah bah-da-dah
A
Bah bah bah bah bah bah bah bah

REPEAT UNTIL FADE

III. Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Tabbed By:

Cadd2: x 3 0 0 1 0      
Dmadd2:x x 0 0 3 1      
Fadd2: 1 3 3 0 1 1

C  C  C  C Cadd2  C (x2)

C                 Cadd2 C               Cadd2 Am
There is a city by the sea, a gentle com - pa - ny, 
              A9 Em       F F  G G
I don't suppose you want to

And as it tells its sorry tale, in harrowing detail 
Its hollowness will haunt you

Dm                         Dmadd2   F               Fadd2    Am     A9
Its streets and boulevards,         orphans and oligarchs it hears
F                  Fadd2 Dm                 Dmadd2
A plaintive melody,      truncated symphony
   F                        Fadd2 G
An ocean's garbled vomit on the   shore, 
    F F G G      C
Los Angeles, I'm yours

C  C  C  C Cadd2  C (x4)  F F  G G

C                  Cadd2  C                          Am  
Oh ladies pleasant and demure, sallow-cheeked and sure 
        A9 Em       F F  G G
I can see your undies
C                     Cadd2 C                        Am   
And all the boys you drag about, an empty fallow fount 
       A9 Em            F F  G G
From Saturdays to Mondays

Dm                    Dmadd2 F              Fadd2          Am   A9
You hill and valley crowd,   hanging your trousers down at heel 
F                       Fadd2 Dm                   Dmadd2
This is the realest thing,   as ancient choirs sing 
F                             Fadd2 G
A dozen blushing cherubs wheel      above
    F F G G    C
Los Angeles my love

C  C  C  C Cadd2  C (x2)

C C# D7M      C#m     D7M      C#m  C#m D# E  . . . (solos)

D                         D                 Bm            B9    F#m  G G  A A
  Oh what a rush of ripe ?lan, languor on divans, dalliant and dainty
D                      D9   D                 D9 Bm
But oh the smell of burnt cocaine, the dolor and decay
              B9 F#m   G G  A A
It only makes me    cranky
Dm                 Dmadd2 F                 F9 Am    A9 Am 
Oh great calamity,        ditch of iniquity and   tears
F                      F9 Dm                         Dmadd2
How I abhor this place,      its sweet and bitter taste
    F                    F9        G
Has left me wretched, retching on all fours
    F F G G      C
Los Angeles, I'm yours
    F F G G      C
Los Angeles, I'm yours
    F F G G      C
Los Angeles, I'm yours

F F  G G  C
F F  G G  C

IV. The Gymnast, High Above the Ground
Tabbed By: oneshotnothing

standard tuning
listen for timing and structure


intro and verse

e-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
b-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
g-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
d-- | ------4---4-------4---4-------4---4------4----0- | 
a-- | --2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------- | 
E-- | 3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--- | 


e-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
b-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
g-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
d-- | ------2---2-------2---2-------2---2------2----0- | 
a-- | --0-----------0-----------0-----------0--------- | 
E-- | 3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--- | 


e-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
b-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
g-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
d-- | ------0---0-------0---0-------0---0------0------ | 
a-- | --2-----------2-----------2-----------2-------0- | 
E-- | 3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--- | 


e-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
b-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
g-- | ------------------------------------------------ | 
d-- | ------0---0-------0---0-------0---0------0----0- | 
a-- | --2-----------2-----------2-----------2--------- | 
E-- | 3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3---3--- | 

chorus

C                                                               G
through the tarlatan holes you've been slipping been slipping away (la da dum dum )

C                                                   G
and the weather will hold it's been ever so ever so gray (la da dum dum )

    Em            G                     C
and here as we're coming down and we're sounding out

       Cm                Em   D/F#  G      G/B       C
it's a terrible terrible tide as it lights upon your eye

    Em           G                 C
but there on the motorway reeks of marmalade

       Cm                Em   D/F#  G      G/B       C
it's a chemical chemical kind as it lights upon your eye

Am               C
lights upon your eye

outro

Em    D/F#  G       G/B  C
April       marches      on

V. The Bachelor and the Bride
Tabbed By: Unregistered

Capo 1st

Em                 A
There's a wrinkle,   in the water
D                 C7M
Where we laid our,     first daughter
Em                         A          C7M       B7
And I think the wind blows so sweetly there, over there

Em              A
And the windows, and the cinders
D               C7M
And the willows, in the timbers
Em                      A     C7M       B7
The infernal rattling of the rain, still remains

    Em          B               Em
But I, said the bachelor to the bride 
       B           C
Am not waiting for tonight,
    G         A
No, I, I will box your ears
    B7                      Em
And leave you here stripped bare

Em  A  D  C7M
Stripped bare...

Em                   A
Hear the corncrakes, and the deerhooves
D                 C7M
And the sleet rain on the slate roof
Em                        A        C7M    B7
A medallion locked inside her hands, in her hands

Em               A
And his fingers, are they telling
D              C7M
Of the barren of her belly
Em                      A             C7M   B7
Do his calluses cure her furrowed brow, even now

     
    Em          B               Em
But I, said the bachelor to the bride 
       B           C
Am not waiting for tonight,
    G         A
No, I, I will box your ears
    B7                      Em
And leave you here stripped bare


Em  A  D  C7M  Em  A  D  C7M
Stripped bare, stripped bare, stripped bare

    Em          B               Em
But I, said the bachelor to the bride 
       B           C
Am not waiting for tonight,
    G         A
No, I, I will box your ears
    C
And take your tears
    A                    C              Em    A   D   C7M
And leave you, leave you here, stripped bare

Em  A  D  C7M  (x2)  Em

VI. Song for Myla Goldberg
Tabbed By: ponyjohn

D             G             D             G
Myla Goldberg sets a steady hand upon her brow
D             G               D               G
Myla Goldberg hangs a crooked foot all upside down

D                   
It comes around,(x4)
G
It comes around (x4)

D               G             D                G
Pretty hands do pretty things when pretty times arise
D              G               D                  G
Seraphim and seaweed swim where stick-limbed Myla lies

D                   
It comes around,(x4)
G
It comes around (x4)


A                 G          D         A
Still know you're waiting to grow
              E     G    A
Inside you're old
                 G       D
Sew wings to your pigeon toes
    E
Put paper to pen
   G
To spell out "Eliza"

D               G            D                      G         
We begin with sticky shins, make sticky then our shoes 
D                G            D                     G
Shoes beget to clothes and hat until sticky's sticking too
 
D
Finiculi finicula (x4)
G
Finiculi finicula (x4)

D            G             D                   G
Listen in as shin-kicked Jim relates his story sad
D               G             D                   G       
About a boy who kicked until his shins were all but rubberbands

D
But now
I know New York, I need New York
G
I know I need unique New York (x2)

A                 G          D         A
Still know you're waiting to grow
              E     G    A
Inside you're old
                 G       D
Sew wings to your pigeon toes
    E
Put paper to pen
   G
To spell out "Eliza"
G
Eliza
G
Eliza

VII. The Soldiering Life
Tabbed By: letdown00

Standard Tuning: EADGBe

Chords:
   D  C# A  G# F#m E  A * D * G
e  x  x  x  x  x   x  x  x  x
B  x  x  x  x  x   x  2  3  3
G  x  x  x  x  x   1  2  2  0
D 12 11  7  6  4   2  2  0  0
A 12 11  7  6  4   2  0  x  2
E 10  9  5  4  2   0  x  x  3

VERSE I
D                          C#
Ambling madly all over the town
                                D
The arbor wall you likened to a whisper
               C#
I likened to a radio.
D                             C#
You were a brickbat, a bowery tough,
                                D
So rough they culled you from a cartoon.
                   C#
Pulled out of your pantaloons.

CHORUS
    A                  G#
But you, my brother in arms,
               F#m                                E
I'd rather I'd lose my limbs than let you come to harm.
    A                 G#
But you, my bombazine doll
                F#m                                 E
The bullets may singe your skin and the mortars may fall.
    A *                E
But I have never felt so alive
     F#m                     D *
Than tonight, huddled in the trenches,
              A *
Gazing on the battlefield.
           E
Our rifles blaze away.
   G                 D
We blaze away. Oh Oh Oh

VERSE II

D                            C#
Corporal Bradley of regiment five
                               D
In proud array, standing by the bathing
                        C#
Soldiers and the stevedores.

D                                      C#
We laid on the mattress and tumbled to sleep
                              D
Our eyes aligned, swaddled in our civies
                    C#
Cradled in our dungarees.


CHORUS 
    A                  G#
But you, my brother in arms,
               F#m                                E
I'd rather I'd lose my limbs than let you come to harm.
    A                 G#
But you, my bombazine doll
                F#m                                 E
The bullets may singe your skin and the mortars may fall.
    A *                E
But I have never felt so alive
     F#m                     D *
Than tonight, huddled in the trenches,
              A *
Gazing on the battlefield.
           E
Our rifles blaze away

   G                D *
We blaze away. Oh Oh Oh
   G                 D *
We blaze away. Oh Oh Oh
   A *                   E
We blaze away. Oh Oh Oh Oh
   G                 D *
We blaze away. Oh Oh Oh

OUTRO SOLO
   A *                     E              G              D *
e---------------------------------------------------------------- | 
B---------------------------------------------------------------- | 
G--6--2-----6--4--6--7--6--4-----4--6--7--6--2--4-----2-----4-- | 
D----------2--------------------2--------------------4-----4----- | 
A---------------------------------------------------------------- | 
E---------------------------------------------------------------- | 

REPEAT 3X END ON D*

VIII. Red Right Ankle
Tabbed By: JimmyB4403

Capo 5th

D/F#: 2 0 0 0 3 3


   D/F#         G
D------------------0h2------
A----------------------0h2--   (x2, w/ verse chords)
E--2---0h2-0h2--3-----------

D/F#                               G                

D/F#                               G
This is the story of your red right ankle,       and how it came to meet your leg
And how the muscle bone and sinews tangled, and how the skin was softly shed
Em                          A           Em                     A
And how it whispered, oh, adhere to me,    for we are bound by symmetry
Em                           A                D                    G    G D/F#
And whatever differences our lives have been,   we together make a limb
Em                        A           D/F#  G   D/F#  G  
This is the story of your red right ankle

D/F#                              G              
This is the story of your gypsy uncle, you never knew 'cause he was dead
And how his face was carved and ripped wrinkles, in the picture in your head
Em                         A        Em                        A
And remember how you found the key, to his hideout in the Pyrenees
Em                                A      D                   G   G D/F#
But you wanted to keep his secret safe, so you threw the key away
Em                    A            D/F#  G   D/F#  G 
This is the story of your gypsy uncle

Em    A   A4 A  Em    A    A4 A
D/F#    G   (x2)

D/F#                                 G                                            
This is the story of the boys who loved you, who love you now and loved you then
And some were sweet and some were cold and snuffed you, and some just laid around in bed
Em                                 A          Em                   A
And had crumbled you straight to your knees, did it cruel did it tenderly
Em                                       A        D                G     G D/F#
And some had crawled their way into your heart, to rend your ventricles apart
Em                       A              G/B    G/B A4 G   G D/F# Em
This is the story of the boys who loved you
Em                        A           G  
This is the story of your red right ankle

IX. The Chimbley Sweep
Tabbed By: khabok

Standard tuning, Capo 4

Em                 B7 
I am a chimbley, a chimbley sweep
Am
No bed to lie, no shoes to hold my feet
Em                   B7
Upon the rooftops in dead of night
Am                                           Em
You?ll hear me cry, I?ll shake you from your sleep
           G
To hear me weep
      D               C
"Your day will come indeed
Em         G          C        Am
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
  Em       B7       Em
A chimbley chimbley sweep."


Em              B7
I am an orphan, an orphan boy
Am
I?ve known no love, I?ve seen no mother?s joy
Em               B7
A dirty doorstep my cradle laid
Am                                          Em
My fortune's made: I?ll shake you from your sleep
           G
To hear me weep
      D               C
"Your day will come indeed.
Em         G          C        Am
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
  Em       B7       Em
A chimbley chimbley sweep."


 Em                B7
"O lonely urchin!" the widow cried
 Am
"I?ve not been swept since the day my husband died."
Em                         B7
Her cheeks a blushing, her legs laid bare
Am                                             Em
And shipwrecked there I?ll shake you from your sleep
           G
To hear me weep
      D               C
"Your day will come indeed.
Em         G          C        Am
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
  Em       B7       Em
A chimbley chimbley sweep."
Em         G          C        Am
For I am a poor and a wretched boy
  Em       B7       Em
A chimbley chimbley sweep."

X. I Was Meant for the Stage
Tabbed By: Unregistered

C
I was meant for the stage, 
F                   C
I was meant for the curtain. 
C     Cmaj9    Am          Am7/G
I was meant to tread these boards, 
   F              C
Of this much i am certain. 

C
I was meant for the crowd, 
F                   C
I was meant for the shouting. 
C     Cmaj9    Am          Am7/G
I was meant to raise these hands 
     F               C       G
With quiet all about me. oh, oh. 

C
Mother, please, be proud. 
F             C
Father, be forgiven. 
C    Cmaj9      Am       Am7/G
Even though you told me 'Son, 
       F              C          G
you'll never make a living.' oh, oh. 

G                            F
From the floorboards to the fly, 
                      C
Here I was fated to reside. 
                       G
And as I take my final bow, 
                      C
Was there ever any doubt? 
                            F
And as the spotlights fade away, 
                                 C
And you're escorted through the foyer,
                             G 
You will resume your callow ways, 
                          C
But I was meant for the stage. 

XI. As I Rise
Tabbed By: aflowerandagun

E-----3-5-5-3-------3-----3-----5-3-5-0-------- | 
B-3h5---------3-3-5---3-5---3-5---------------- | 
G---------------------------------------------- | 
D---------------------------------------------- | 
A---------------------------------------------- | 
E---------------------------------------------- | 

D C

G
I have come a few miles.
G
I got blisters on my slippered feet
     D          C
As I rise, as I ri-ise.

G
California's ok.
G
But I think I might stay in the shade
        D          C
For a while, for a whi-ile.


GGDC played over this:
E-----3-3---------3-----3-----5/7-5-3------------- | 
B-3-5-----5-3-3-5---3-5---3-5---------5/7--7-6-5-- | 
G------------------------------------------------- | 
D------------------------------------------------- | 
A------------------------------------------------- | 
E------------------------------------------------- | 

G
Ladybird, ladybird
G
You're the prettiest song I heard
     D           C
In a while, in a whi-ile.

G                                                  D          C
La di dah, la dah, la di dah dah dah la dah, la la la, la dah dah-ah.
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