Capo: 3

------------------------ BEESWING – Richard Thompson ------------------------ Tabbed by Robert Saunders Tuning: Drop D (DADGBE) Capo on 3 Key of B flat (D relative to capo) Chords (relative to capo): D: 000232 D/B: X20232 D/A: X00232 D/G: 5X023X D/D: X5023X [see notes below] A: X02220 G: 5X0033 or 5X0003 or 550003 or 550033 Gmaj7: 5X403X Em9/B: X24030 Bm7: X24232 D/F#: 4X02XX Em: 222000 G/D: 02003X Asus4: X02230 Asus2: X02200 Bm: X24432 Notes: This transcription is based on a live recording on YouTube uploaded by Cleapatr on 30 Nov 2008. Unfortunately it doesn’t say when or where it was recorded. As with all his songs, Richard Thompson plays this a bit differently every time, mixing up the bass notes and picking patterns. The verse in particular can be mixed up using different bass notes with the D chords. You can also end the verses with A G D G instead of A A G G. The D/D chord that I’ve listed above is obviously just a D major chord but I’ve transcribed it as D/D to distinguish it from the more common D shape. RT seems to bend the 5th string a little when he plays the D note. RT holds a pick between his thumb and first finger which he uses to play the bass notes. He uses his other fingers to pick the other strings. Lesser mortals might find it easier to play with thumb and fingers or use a thumb pick. At some stage I may add a full tab for the intro, solo and outro but for now I hope this is helpful. Please point out any errors and I will correct them. Intro: [The intro is based around the following chords with a walk down from G to A via the F# and E bass notes] D G Asus2 A Asus4 Bm D G Asus2 A Asus4 Bm G Verse 1:

I ^Dwas nine^D/Bteen when I ^D/Acame to ^Dtown They ^Dcalled it the ^D/Bsummer of ^D/Alove ^D

They were ^D/Aburning ^D/Bbabies, ^D/Aburning ^D/Gflags The ^AHawks a^Against the ^GDoves ^G ^G ^G

Verse 2:

^DI took a ^D/Bjob in the ^D/Asteamie ^D ^DDown on ^D/BCaldrum ^D/AStreet ^D

I ^Dfell in ^D/Blove with a ^D/Alaundry ^D/Ggirl Who was ^Aworking ^Anext to ^Gme ^G ^G

Chorus:

^G She was a ^Em9/Brare thing, fine as a ^DBeeswing So ^Bm7fine a ^Abreath of ^Gwind might ^Ablow her ^Gaway

She was a ^Em9/Blost child, she was ^Drunning wild She said, as ^Bm7long as ^Athere's no ^Gprice on ^Alove I'll ^Gstay ^D/F#

And you ^Emwouldn't ^D/F#want me ^Gany ^D/Aother ^G/Dway ^A ^Asus4 ^D

Verse 3:

^DBrown hair ^D/Bzigzagged a^D/Around her ^Dface And a ^Dlook of ^D/Bhalf sur^D/Aprise ^D

Like a ^Dfox caught ^D/Bin the ^D/Aheadlights^D/D There was ^Aanimal ^Ain her ^Geyes ^G ^G ^G

Verse 4:

She ^Dsaid young ^D/Bman, oh ^D/Acan't you ^Dsee ^DI'm not the ^D/Bfactory ^D/Akind ^D

If ^Dyou don't ^D/Btake me ^D/Aout of ^D/Ghere I'll ^Asurely ^Alose my ^Gmind ^G ^G

Chorus:

^G She was a ^Em9/Brare thing, fine as a ^DBeeswing So ^Bm7fine that ^AI might ^Gcrush her ^Awhere she ^Glay

She was a ^Em9/Blost child, she was ^Drunning wild She said, as ^Bm7long as ^Athere's no ^Gprice on ^Alove I'll ^Gstay ^D/F#

And you ^Emwouldn't ^D/F#want me ^Gany ^D/Aother ^G/Dway ^A ^Asus4

SOLO: [The solo starts the same as the intro and then moves up the neck picking notes from the B minor pentatonic scale (relative to capo). It ends with an Em chord over which his picks the notes B D F# E and D on the 1st and 2nd strings before returning the the D chord of the verse.] Verse 5:

We ^Dbusked a^D/Bround the ^D/Amarket ^Dtowns And ^Dpicked fruit ^D/Bdown in ^D/AKent ^D

And ^Dwe could ^D/Btinker ^D/Alamps and ^D/Gpots And k^Anives wher^Aever we ^Gwent ^G ^Gmaj7 ^Gmaj7

Verse 6:

And I ^Dsaid that ^D/Bwe might ^D/Asettle down^D ^DGet a few ^D/Bacres ^D/Adug ^D

^DFire ^D/Bburning ^D/Ain the ^D/Dhearth And ^Ababies ^Aon the ^Grug ^G ^G ^G

Verse 7:

She ^Dsaid oh ^D/Bman, you ^D/Afoolish ^Dman That ^Dsurely ^D/Bsounds like ^D/Ahell ^D

You ^Dmight be ^D/Blord of ^D/Ahalf the ^D/Dworld You'll ^Anot own ^Ame as ^Gwell ^G ^G

Chorus:

^G She was a ^Em9/Brare thing, fine as a ^DBeeswing So ^Bm7fine a ^Abreath of ^Gwind might ^Ablow her ^Gaway

^GShe was a ^Em9/Blost child, she was ^Drunning wild She said, as ^Bm7long as ^Athere's no ^Gprice on ^Alove I'll ^Gstay ^D/F#

And you ^Emwouldn't ^D/F#want me ^Gany ^D/Aother ^G/Dway ^A ^Asus4 ^D

Verse 8:

We was ^Dcamping ^D/Bdown the ^D/AGower one ^Dtime ^D The work was^D/B pretty^D/A good ^D

She ^Dthought we ^D/Bshouldn't ^D/Await for the ^D/Gfrost And ^AI thought ^Amaybe we ^Gshould ^G ^Gmaj7 ^Gmaj7

Verse 9:

We was ^Ddrinking ^D/Bmore in ^D/Athose days ^D ^DTempers ^D/Breached a ^D/Apitch ^D

And ^Dlike a ^D/Bfool I ^D/Alet her ^D/Grun ^AWith the ^Arambling ^Gitch ^G

[Repeat first half of intro] Verse 10:

Oh the ^Dlast I ^D/Bheard she's ^D/Asleeping ^Drough ^DBack on the ^D/BDerby ^D/Abeat ^D

D D/B D/A D/D > C# White horse in her hip pocket

And a ^Awolfhound ^Aat her ^Gfeet ^G ^G

Verse 11:

^GAnd they ^Dsay she ^D/Beven ^D/Amarried ^Donce A ^Dman named^D/B Romany ^D/ABrown ^D

But ^Deven a ^D/Bgypsy ^D/Acara---^D/Dvan Was ^Atoo much ^Asettling ^Gdown ^G ^G

Verse 12:

^GAnd they ^Dsay her ^D/Bflower is ^D/Afaded ^Dnow ^DHard weather ^D/Band hard ^D/Abooze ^D

But ^Dmaybe that's ^D/Bjust the ^D/Aprice you ^D/Dpay For the ^Achains ^Ayou ^Grefuse^G

Modified chorus:

^G Oh ^Gshe was a ^Em9/Brare thing, fine as a ^DBeeswing And I ^Bm7miss her ^Amore than ^Gever ^Awords could ^Gsay

^G If I could ^Em9/Bjust taste, all of her ^Dwildness now If ^Bm7I could ^Ahold her ^Gin my ^Aarms to^Gday ^D/F#

Then I ^Emwouldn't ^D/F#want her ^Gany ^D/Aother ^G/Dway ^A ^Asus4 ^D

[The outro is similar to intro ending on a high D chord (0 0 0 14 15 14)]

Richard Thompson - Beeswing