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Here's how to play the main riff chords in the song. The chords are shown in the inversion that you should use, top note on top and bottom note on bottom: F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb BbMaj7/D BbmMaj7/Db Am7 Gm7 C7 --- --- --- ---- --- --- --- --- --- A A A A A A G Bb Bb F F F F F F E G G C C# D Eb D C# C D E E-------------------------------------------------------------| B---------------------------(3)--------(3)--------------------| G---2-----2------2----2------2----------2----------0----3---3-| D---3-----3------3----3------3----------3----------2----5---5-| A---3-----4------5----6------5----------4----------3----5---7-| E-------------------------------------------------------------| (Notice that in the BbMaj7 and BbmMaj7/Db, the Bb is implied. When Mike comes in on the bass, the bass plays the Bb, but the organ doesn't. Likewise, the A isn't stated in the Am7 until Mike plays it on the bass.) There are other chords in the song, but the fingering on them isn't as important as for these, so you can use whatever is comfortable. Most of the song, especially at the start, has an "oom-pah-pah" feel (which kind of makes sense, since the song is in 3/4.) To play the chords correctly, play the bass note, then the othertwo notes twice. For example, the intro starts like this: F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C# ----- ------ ----- ------ A A A A A A A A F F F F F F F F C C# D C# .... Find a good Hammond patch to play it with and your all set... "Circus theme" Intro: F E Eb E Eb D C# C B C Intro: F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C# F/C F+/C# Dm F+/C# F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb It was late one fall night at a fairground near town BbMaj7/D BbmMaj7/Db F/A When Esther first saw the Armenian man
WhoAm7 grovelled toward her andDm stood by her side With aGm7 bucket that swung in hisC7 hand (Bass joins in here)
F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb His grin stretched the folds of his pasty white cheeks BbMaj7 BbmMaj7 F/A And his lips hurled a dollop of murk on the curb
And theAm7 lights from the rides showed aDm mischievous sparkle ThatGm7 flashed in his hollow eyedC7 stare
(same) He said "Little girl, you can chop off my legs And then peel off my socks if you want to. But I'd rather you took this old puppet from me That I hold in my pail as we speak." (same except transition chords at end of verse) And he stood looking down at the innocent girl And she stared at the bucket bewildered Til he lifted the doll for the young girl to see Gm7b5/Db Eb <--transition chords And a giant smile grew on his face
SheAb saw the doll'sAdim eyes and sheBbm couldn'tEb resist And shDdime thanked the maDbn quickly anBbmd ran to thEbe church
And sheAb burst through theAdim door withBbm puppet heldEb high And aDdim hush filled theDb chapel, and theBbm people looked mean
C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab Ab F E Eb E F E Eb E E-----------------------------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------------------------| G---5--5-----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5-| D---6--6-----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6-| A-8-------7--------6------7-------8-------7--------6------7-------| E-----------------------------------------------------------------| B B B B B B B B B B B B B B C# C# G G G G G G G G G G G G G G A A E Eb D Eb E Eb D D E-----------------------------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------------------------| G----4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---6-6----------------| D----5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---7-7----------------| A-7------6-----5-----6----7------6-----5-----7--------------------| E-----------------------------------------------------------------|
DEsther tried in A/C#vain to Cpacify the G/Bmob BbQuibble grew to D/Aspat, to E7/G#wrangle, then to Gmbrawl
TheD/F# frenzied congrGegation struggledE7/G# desperately toA fetch The prettyA7 puppet snuglyA6 nestled deep inA Esther's leatherDm7 sack
(Dm7 arpegiation on guitar/piano:) F D F A C F A C D A C D F C D F A D F A C F A C D E----------------------------------5-----5-8---5-8-10--| B--------------------------6-----6-----6-----6---------| G----------5-----5-7---5-7---5-7-----7-----------------| D--------7-----7-----7---------------------------------| A--8-5-8-----8-----------------------------------------| E------------------------------------------------------| (same chords as earlier verses) Through the window of the church a storm began to rage And Esther knew the time had come to flee She scurried down the aisle toward the doorway in the distance And out into the rainstorm where she felt she would be free But the wind was blowing harder And her skirt began to billow Until finally her feet began to lift And she rose above the people and the houses and the chimneys
And Esther and the doll were setGm7b5/Db adrift Eb
AbFloating Adimhigher Bbmover the Ebhills, and the Ddimvalleys and Dbtreetops they'dBbm flutter andEb glide
AbSoaring and Adimturning Bbmsuspended on Ebair With theDdim earth farDb below them they'dBbm tumble
AndEb dive through theE clouds "Flying jam" chord progression: E->Em->F#m7->F#->B
Transcription from Karl Schnaitter <KingKarl33@aol.com> 16th notes eighth notes |----------------------------------------|--------------8--9--10----------| |-------------------7-8-9-10-11-10-9-8-7-|----------10--------------------| |----------7-8-9-10----------------------|--10--------------------10------| |--9-10-11-------------------------------|------10--------------------10--| |----------------------------------------|--------------------------------| |----------------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------10--11--------------|-------------10--9-------------| |----------10--10--10--10----------|---------11---------11---------| |------10------------------10------|-----10-----------------10-----| |--10--------------------------10--|--8-------------------------8--| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |-----------6--8-----------| |--------6--------------6--| |-----5--------------5-----| |--7--------------7--------| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--------------5------12--15--|----------------------------------| |--5--------5-----13----------|--15------15--13------------------| |--------5--------------------|------14----------14------12--14--| |-----7-----------------------|----------------------15----------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |--15--12--------------------------| |----------15--12----------12--15--| |------------------13--------------| |----------------------15----------| |--------------------------------|--------------8--9--10----------| |--------------------------------|----------10--------------------| |--------15--12--------------12--|--10--------------------10------| |--14------------14------14------|------10--------------------10--| |--------------------15----------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------10--11--------------|-------------10--9-------------| |----------10--10--10--10----------|---------11---------11---------| |------10------------------10------|-----10-----------------10-----| |--10--------------------------10--|--8-------------------------8--| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |-----------6--8-----------| |--------6--------------6--| |-----5--------------5-----| |--7--------------7--------| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--------------5------12--15--|----------------------------------| |--5--------5-----13----------|--15------15--13------------------| |--------5--------------------|------14----------14------12--14--| |-----7-----------------------|----------------------15----------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |--15--12--------------------------| |----------15--12----------12--15--| |------------------13--------------| |----------------------15----------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------------|------13--------------13----------| |--------15--12----------11--12--|--13------13--12----------13--14--| |--14------------14--15----------|------------------15--------------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------15--14--|--13----------------------13------| |------14--------------16----------|----------------------14------14--| |--15------15--12------------------|------13--------------------------| |------------------13--------------|----------13--14--15--------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |------16----------15------15--18--|--16------------------------------| |--16------18--19------16----------|------16--------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------17----------17----------| |----------------------------------|--------------18--16------18--19--| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------15--14--|--13----------------------13------| |------14--------------16----------|----------------------14------14--| |--15------15----------------------|------13--------------------------| |--------------17--13--------------|----------13--14--15--------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--13--16--13--14--15------15--18--|--16----16--14----12--------| |----------------------16----------|------------------------14--| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |--------------------------| |--12----------------------| |--------13----11----------| |--------------------14----| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| Quiet volume pedal section starts here |--16----16--14----12--------|--------------------------| |------------------------14--|--12----------------------| |----------------------------|--------13----11----------| |----------------------------|--------------------14----| |----------------------------|--------------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |--------------12----15------|------------------------|------------------17----| |--12------14------------12--|------------------14----|--16------14------------| |----------------------------|--12------14------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|--14--------------------| |--14------------------|----------17------------|----------16------14----| |----------14----------|--15--------------15----|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|--14------16--14----16----|--16------12--14----12-| |-----------------------(16)-|--------------------------|-----------------------| |--16----------13----16------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------16----------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |--14----12----------------|--------------------------|--15--------------------| |--------------13----11----|--12----------------12----|--------------12---13---| |--------------------------|----------12--14----------|------------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------14----| |----------17------14----|--------------------------|----------------------| |--14--------------------|--16----------------14----|--15------------------| |------------------------|-------14---16------------|----------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------| |--------------------------|-----| |--16----14----------------|-----| |--------------15----13----|--16-| |--------------------------|-----| |--------------------------|-----| |--------------------------|-----| |: :| E----11-14-11-- B--12---------- G-------------- D-------------- A-------------- E-------------- Hold the B chord and play the above B arpeggio on the guitar: (B arpeggiation) And she began to plummet earthward till she Landed in the nasty part of town Em (Bass goes E->Eb->D->Eb and repeats) Trey plays : (repeat each as necessary, listen to a song) |: :| |: :| |: :| Slide down after this one back to the start E---------------------------------------- B--12------13------16------17------------ G---------------------------------------- D---9------10------13------14------------ A---------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------- She glanced about the village sure to find the evil men
Who rob andFm pillage in the darkest hour of night EbmNervously she fumbled for the pouch that held the
Puppet on herEm rump. (Same) Feeling quite outnumbered Esther hid behind A nearby pile of lumber, where she waited Till the dawn Cause it would have been a blunder to Succumb to a hoodlum on the prowl
When theD morningA/C# came, sheC wandered through theG/B streets BbAlong the chilly D/Alake that E7/G#lay beside the Gmtown
AtD/F# last a peacefulG moment, but sheE7/G# thought she heard aA sound A7 A6 A Dm7 (arpeggiation) It was an angry mob of joggers coming up to knock her down
(same chords as verses) As Esther stood and shook her head The joggers were approaching And she knew she had no choice left but to swim As the frosty water sank its bitter teeth into her hide She tried to slide the heavy clothing from her skin Naked now she made her way toward the shore When suddenly she felt a tiny tugging at her toe. And the puppet she'd fogotten wrapped its tiny
Little arms around her ankle and wouldn't let herGm7b5/Db go. Eb Ab etc... The waves seemed to open and swallow her whole As the doll pulled her down through the eerie green deep And the sound of the laughing old man filled her ears As she drifted away to a tranquil E (flying jam) And motionless sleep.
Cool guitar solo over flying jam: E Em E|-------------|-15-12-12----------------| B|-12-14-------|----------12-12-------12-| G|-------13-13-|----------------12-14----| D|-------------|-------------------------| A|-------------|-------------------------| E|-------------|-------------------------| F#m F# /2 E|-17-14-14--17-(17)-14-14--------|-18-14-14---18-14-14--| B|--------------------------------|----------------------| G|--------------------------------|----------------------| D|--------------------------------|----------------------| A|--------------------------------|----------------------| E|--------------------------------|----------------------| B E Em E|-19-|-------------|-15-12-12----------------| B|----|-12-14-------|----------12-12-------12-| G|----|-------13-13-|----------------12-14----| D|----|-------------|-------------------------| A|----|-------------|-------------------------| E|----|-------------|-------------------------| F#m F# /2 E|-17-14-14--17-(17)-14-14--------|-18-14-14---18-14-14--| B|--------------------------------|----------------------| G|--------------------------------|----------------------| D|--------------------------------|----------------------| A|--------------------------------|----------------------| E|--------------------------------|----------------------| B E E|-19--|-21-23--|-12-| B|-----|--------|----| G|-----|--------|----| D|-----|--------|----| Strike and hold an E chord to end. A|-----|--------|----| E|-----|--------|----|