Bloomsbury Blue

Ruby Blue 
BLOOMSBURY BLUE 
from: Down From Above, 1990


[Em]Nice old girls [Em]soak up the sun 
[C]Wondering who won the [C]race they run 
[Am]Sad old boys suck on [Am]lager tins 
[D]Staggering past on [D]tottering pins 
[c]Little kids play on the [C]fountain by the square 
And the [D]flower girl sells [D]bunches by the [G]pair
[Em]Blue stocking blue a girl of [Em]high-legged renown 
[C]Strides past and through lacking [C]only a gown 
Her [Am]mind is high her [Am]heels on the ground 
Poet[D]ess of the ordinary [D]her thoughts profound 
Her [C]eyes are bright her [C]nose looks down 
The [D]books she reads are [D]her only [G]sound [G]

And you [Em]know you can’t have her 
You [Em]know it’s not you 
Only the [Em]girls in the square 
[G]Know who is who
Only the [Em]drunks by the fountain 
[Em]Know what to do 
Only the [Em]kids on the benches can [D]have
Bloomsbury [G]blue


[Em]Blue stocking blue makes [Em]tea in her flat 
[C]Wonders whether the day is [C]right to wear a hat 
She [Am]calls a friend, [Am]stretches her calf 
Too[D] lovely to be, too [D]beautiful by half
She [C]falls on the bed and [C]arches her back 
[D]Closes her eyes and [D]dreams of [G]black [G]

And you [Em]know you can’t have her 
You [Em]know it’s not you 
Only the [Em]ladies of the night 
[G]Know who is who 
Only the [Em]sleeping drunks 
[Em]Know what to do 
Only the [Em]kids with their ball can [D]have 
Bloomsbury [G]blue

[Em]See picture painters [Em]basking by the tree
The [C]colours they use [C]red blue and three
The [Am]publican laughs as [Am]three men bet 
The [D]horses aren’t running so they [D]stay in debt 
[C]Newsprint for a bed, a [C]dosser falls 
And [D]somewhere close a [D]tennis player [G]calls [G]

Then the [D]horses run and the [C]old girls dance 
[G]Time for the fair and the [G]games of chance 
[D]Booze is falling like [C]rain from the sky 
And [G]flowers lighten be[G]fore they die 
[D]Kids paint their faces and [C]mamas laugh 
While [G]bloomsbury blue [G]ties on her scarf 	
[D]She’s on the square, [C]she’s by the park 
[G]She’s in the light, [G]she’s in the dark

And you [Em]know you can’t have her 
You [Em]know it’s not you 
Only the [Em]ladies of the night 
[G]Know who is who 
Only the [Em]sleeping drunks 
[Em]Know what to do 
Only the [Em]kids with their ball can [D]have 
Bloomsbury [G]blue

[Em]Most of it’s over she [Em]lies by the fire 
[C]Only she knows you [C]can’t get much higher
Than [Am]blue stocking blue a girl of [Am]high renown 
Who [D]seeks and finds with[D]out a sound 
Who [D]uses the day as [D]if it’s the night 
Who [D]passes you by [D]never a sight 
Who [C]makes you shiver with[C]out knowing why 
Like [D]bloomsbury blue is [D]part of the [G]sky