Capo: 3

From: Phillip Charles Saunders <phillip@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Beeswing Richard Thompson, from the album Mirror Blue transcribed by Phil Saunders (phillip@phoenix.princeton.edu) tuning (DADGBE), capo 3rd fret I've been working on this lovely acoustic ballad for a while. The transcription is not perfect, especially on the chorus, but should be close enough to get you in the ballpark. I have not attempted to transcribe the solo. Corrections/Additions cheerfully welcomed, so long as critics take the difficulty of transcribing something like this into account. The chord names are written with the capo in mind; the song is actually in F, but is transcribed here in D. I usually play the B on the low A string by hammering on, which gives a little extra nuance. (This is why the D chords are notated as D (D6)). You can also throw in the low D string on the verse to add extra drive. On the chorus, I'mm not quite sure if I really hear the low G on the G chord--the B is certainly there, but I can't tell about the G. Chords D (000232) D6 (020232) A (X0222X) G (5X0003X) Bm (X24432) Intro (and start of verses) -|-0--0h2p0-------------------------------------------0-----2----| -|-----------3p0--0--------------------------0--2--3-----0-----0-| -|-------------------3--------3--------3-------------------------| -|-2--------------------3--------3--------3-----------2-----0----| -|----------------2--------0--------2--------2-------------------| -|---------------------------------------------------------------| -|-0--0h2p0-------------------------------------------0-----2----|------------| -|-----------3p0--0--------------------------0--2--3-----0-----0-|-0-----0----| -|-------------------3--------3--------3-------------------------|------------| -|-2--------------------3--------3--------3-----------2-----0----|-0-----0--2-| -|----------------2--------0--------2--------2-------------------|----0-------| -|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------| Verse D -|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------| -|-3---------------------|-3---------------------|-3---------------------| -|-2--2----2-----2-----2-|-2--2----2-----2-----2-|-2--2----2-----2-----2-| -|-0---------------------|-0----------0----------|-0---------------------| -|------h2---------h2----|-----h2-----0----h2----|-----h2----------h2----| -|------------0----------|-----------------------|------------0----------| A G -|----------------------------------------| -|----------------------3-----------3-----| -|-2-----2--------0--------0-----0-----0--| -|-2--------2-----0--------0-----0-----0--| -|-0--0--------0--------------------------| -|----------------5--5--------5-----------| Chorus Bm A/C# D (D6) G A G/B A/C# -|-----------------|-----------------------|------------------------------| -|-3---------3-----|-3---------------------|------------------------------| -|-4---0---0----2--|-2--2----2-----2-----2-|--0-----2-----0-----2--0------| -|---4---4---------|-0----------0----------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--2--0------| -|-2---------2--4--|------2-----0-----2----|--2-----0-----2-----4---------| -|-----------------|-----------------------|--5---------------------------| D (D6) Bm A/C# D (D6) -|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------| -|-3-----------------------|-3---------3-----|-3---------------------| -|-2--2-----2-----2-----2--|-4---0---0----2--|-2--2----2-----2-----2-| -|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|---4---4---------|-0----------0----------| -|-------------0-----------|-2---------2--4--|------2-----0-----2----| -|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------| G A G/B A/C# D A/C# -|------------------------------|------------------------| -|------------------------------|-3-----------2----------| -|--0-----2-----0-----2--0------|-2--2-----2-----2-----2-| -|--0--0--0--0--0--0--2--0------|-0-----0-----------0----| -|--2-----0-----2-----4---------|-------------4----------| -|--5---------------------------|------------------------| G A G/B A/C# D -|------------------------------|------------------------------| -|------------------------------|-3--------------3-------------| -|--0-----2-----0-----2--0------|-2--2-----2-----2-------------| -|--0--0--0--0--0--0--2--0------|-0-----0--------0-------------| -|--2-----0-----2-----4---------|------------------------------| -|--5---------------------------|-------------0----------------| Intro Verse D (D6) I was nineteen when I came to town They called it the summer of love They were burning babies, burning flags

The ^AHawks against the ^GDoves D (D6) I took a job in the steamie Down on Caldrum Street I fell in love with a laundry girl Was ^Aworking next to ^Gme

Chorus

She was a ^Bmrare thing, ^A/C#fine as a ^DBeeswing So ^Gfine a ^Abreath of ^G/Bwind might ^A/C#blow her a^Dway She was a ^Bmlost child, ^A/C#she was ^Drunning wild She said, as ^Glong as ^Athere's no ^G/Bprice on ^A/C#love I'll ^Dstay ^A/C# And you ^Gwouldn't ^Awant me ^G/Bany ^A/C#other ^Dway

Brownhair zig zag round her face And a look of half surprise Like a fox caught in the headlights There was animal in her eyes She said young man, O can't you see I'm not the factory kind If you don't take me out of here I'll surely lose my mind She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing So fine that I might crush her where she lay She was a lost child, she was running wild She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay And you wouldn't want me any other way We busked around the market towns And picked fruit down in Kent And we could tinker lamps and pots And knives wherever we went And I said that we might settle down Get a few acres dug Fire burning in the hearth And babies on the rug She said O man, you foolish man That surely sounds like hell You might be lord of half the world You'll not own me as well She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing So fine a breathe of wind might blow her away She was a lost child, she was running wild She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay And you wouldn't want me any other way We was camping down the Gower one time The work was pretty good She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost And I thought maybe we should We were drinking more in those days And tempers reached a pitch Like a fool I let her run With the rambling itch

^Dlast I hear she's sleeping out Back on the Darby beat White horse in her hip pocket And a wolfhound at her feet

And they say she even married once A man named Romany Brown But even a gypsy caravan Was too much settling down And they say her flower is faded now Hard weather and hard booze But maybe that's just the price you pay For the chains you refuse She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing So fine that I might crush her where she lay And I miss her more than words could ever say If I could just taste, All of her wildness now If I could hold her in my arms today Then I wouldn't want her any other way

Richard Thompson - Beeswing