Al Bowllys In Heaven

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author’s own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Date: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 03:27:09 GMT

Al Bowlly’s in Heaven
Richard Thompson, from Daring Adventures
Transcribed by phillip@phoenix.princeton.edu

Dm                   A7                     Dm
We were heroes them, and the girls were all pretty
Dm
And a uniform was a lucky charm
Bb7                       A7
Bought you the key to the city
F                    F
We used to dance the whole night through
Bb7                        Eb7
While Al Bowlly sang, ’The Very Thought of You’
Em7b5                      A7           Dm
Al Bowlly’s in Heaven, and I’m in limbo now


I gave my youth to King and country
But what’s my country done for me
But sentenced me to misery
I traded my helmet and my parachute
For a pair of crutches and a de-mob suit
Al Bowlly’s in Heaven, and I’m in limbo now

F    C      F         C
Hard Times, hard hard times
F           C            F             C
Hostels and missions and dosser’s soup lines
F              C         F          C
Can’t close me eyes on a bench or a bed
Bb7                                 A7
For the sound of some battle raging in my head

Old friends, You lose so many
You get run around all over town
The wear and the tear of it just drag you down
St Mungo’s with its dirty old sheets
Beats standing all day down on Scarborough Street
Al Bowlly’s in Heaven, and I’m in limbo now

Guitar Solo (see tab below)

Can’t stay here, got to foot slog
Once in a blue moon, you might find a job
Sleep in the rain, sleep in the snow
When the beds are all taken, you’ve got nowehere to go

I can see me now, back there on the dance-floor
With a blond on me arm, red head to spare
spit on me shoes and shine in me hair
And there’s Al Bowlly, up on the stand
That was a voice, and that was a band
Al Bowlly’s in Heaven, and I’m in limbo now

Guitar solo
   Dm                    A7
-|---------------------|--------------------------|
-|---------------------|--------------------------|
-|---------------------|------------------------7-|
-|---------------------|----------------------7---|
-|-7-b8-7-b8-7-b8-7-b8-|-7-b8-7-5-h7-p5-4-5-8-----|
-|---------------------|--------------------------|

   Dm                                  Dm
-|-----------------------------------|------------------|
-|---------------------------------9-|-9-b10------8-6---|
-|-9b10-9b10-9b10-9b10-9-7h9p7-6-7---|----------------7-|
-|-----------------------------------|------------------|
-|-----------------------------------|------------------|
-|-----------------------------------|------------------|

  Dm                          Dm                      Bb7
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|
|-6-------------5h6-----5h6-|-6-6-6-5---5-6-8-8b9r8-|-8-6h8p6-----------8-8|
|---7-------6-6-----6-7-----|---------7-------------|---------7-------7----|
|-----7-6-7-----------------|-----------------------|-----------8-7-6------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|
|---------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|

   A7                    F                     F
-|---------------------|-5-----8-5h8p5-------|-5/-13-10h13p10------------|
-|-5h8p5---------------|---5-----------6-5-4-|----------------10-8-8-8-6-|
-|-------6-------------|-----5---------------|---------------------------|
-|---------7-6-5-5-6-7-|---------------------|---------------------------|
-|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|
-|---------------------|---------------------|---------------------------|

   Bb7                   Eb7              Em7b5
-|---------------------|------8---------|-------------------|
-|-8b9r8-8-6---6-8-8b9-|-r8-6---6---6-8-|-8-6---6-7-8-8-8b9-|
-|-----------7---------|----------6-----|-----7-------------|
-|---------------------|----------------|-------------------|
-|---------------------|----------------|-------------------|
-|---------------------|----------------|-------------------|

   A7               Dm            Dm     C7      F
-|----------------|--------------|-------------|-1----------|
-|-r8-6---------6-|--------------|-----------5-|-1----------|
-|------7---------|-7------------|-----------3-|-2----------|
-|--------7-6-5---|---5-3-5-3--5-|---------5---|-3----------|
-|----------------|--------------|-5-5-4-3-----|------------|
-|----------------|--------------|-------------|------------|