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
