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Beeswing by Richard Thompson
Beeswing
[Verse]
G
I was 18 when I came to town they called it the summer of love
G D C
Burning babies burning flags the hawks against the doves
G
I took a job at the steaming way down on Caltrim St,
G D C
Fell in love with a laundry girl that was workin next to me.
G
Brown hair zig zagged across her face and a look of half surprise,
G D C
Like a fox caught in the headlights there was animal in her eyes,
G
She said to me can't you see I'm not the factory kind,
G D C
If you don't take me out of here I'll surely lose my mind
[Chorus]
EM G
She was a rare thing fine as a bee's wing
EM D C
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
EM G
She was a lost child, she was runnin' wild (she said)
EM D C
So long as theres no price on love I'll stay
AM D C
You wouldn't want me any other way.
[Verse]
We busked around the market towns fruit pickin down in kent
We could tinker pots and pans or knives wherever we went.
We were campin down the Gower one time, the work was mighty good.
She wouldn't wait for the harvest, I thought we should.
I said to her we'll settle down, get a few acres dug,
A fire burning in the hearth and babbies on the rug.
She said Oh man you foolish man that surely sounds like hell,
You might be lord of half the world,You'll not own me as well
[Chorus]
EM G
She was a rare thing fine as a bee's wing
EM D C
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
EM G
She was a lost child, she was runnin' wild (she said)
EM D C
So long as theres no price on love I'll stay
AM D C
You wouldn't want me any other way.
[Verse]
We were drinking more in those days our tempers reached a pitch
Like a fool I let her run away when she took the rambling itch.
Last I heard she was living rough back on the Derby beat
A bottle of White Horse in her pocket, a Wolfhound at her feet
They say that she got married once to a man called Romany Brown
Even a gypsy caravan was too much like settlin' down
They say her rose has faded, rough weather and hard booze,
Maybe thats the price you pay for the chains that you refuse
[Outro]
She was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
I miss her more than ever words can say
If I could just taste all of her wildness now
If I could hold her in my arms today.....
------------------
version 2
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:
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.
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:
D D/B D/A D
I was nineteen when I came to town
D D/B D/A D
They called it the summer of love
D/A D/B D/A D/G
They were burning babies, burning flags
A A G G G G
The Hawks against the Doves
Verse 2:
D D/B D/A D
I took a job in the steamie
D D/B D/A D
Down on Caldrum Street
D D/B D/A D/G
I fell in love with a laundry girl
A A G G G
Who was working next to me
Chorus:
G Em9/B D
She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing
Bm7 A G A G
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
Em9/B D
She was a lost child, she was running wild
Bm7 A G A G D/F#
She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay
Em D/F# G D/A G/D A Asus4 D
And you wouldn't want me any other way
Verse 3:
D D/B D/A D
Brown hair zigzagged around her face
D D/B D/A D
And a look of half surprise
D D/B D/A D/D
Like a fox caught in the headlights
A A G G G G
There was animal in her eyes
Verse 4:
D D/B D/A D
She said young man, oh can't you see
D D/B D/A D
I'm not the factory kind
D D/B D/A D/G
If you don't take me out of here
A A G G G
I'll surely lose my mind
Chorus:
G Em9/B D
She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing
Bm7 A G A G
So fine that I might crush her where she lay
Em9/B D
She was a lost child, she was running wild
Bm7 A G A G D/F#
She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay
Em D/F# G D/A G/D A Asus4
And you wouldn't want me any other way
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:
D D/B D/A D
We busked around the market towns
D D/B D/A D
And picked fruit down in Kent
D D/B D/A D/G
And we could tinker lamps and pots
A A G G Gmaj7 Gmaj7
And knives wherever we went
Verse 6:
D D/B D/A D
And I said that we might settle down
D D/B D/A D
Get a few acres dug
D D/B D/A D/D
Fire burning in the hearth
A A G G G G
And babies on the rug
Verse 7:
D D/B D/A D
She said oh man, you foolish man
D D/B D/A D
That surely sounds like hell
D D/B D/A D/D
You might be lord of half the world
A A G G G
You'll not own me as well
Chorus:
G Em9/B D
She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing
Bm7 A G A G
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
G Em9/B D
She was a lost child, she was running wild
Bm7 A G A G D/F#
She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay
Em D/F# G D/A G/D A Asus4 D
And you wouldn't want me any other way
Verse 8:
D D/B D/A D
We was camping down the Gower one time
D D/B D/A D
The work was pretty good
D D/B D/A D/G
She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost
A A G G Gmaj7 Gmaj7
And I thought maybe we should
Verse 9:
D D/B D/A D
We was drinking more in those days
D D/B D/A D
Tempers reached a pitch
D D/B D/A D/G
And like a fool I let her run
A A G G
With the rambling itch
[Repeat first half of intro]
Verse 10:
D D/B D/A D
Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough
D D/B D/A D
Back on the Derby beat
D D/B D/A D/D > C#
White horse in her hip pocket
A A G G G
And a wolfhound at her feet
Verse 11:
G D D/B D/A D
And they say she even married once
D D/B D/A D
A man named Romany Brown
D D/B D/A D/D
But even a gypsy cara---van
A A G G G
Was too much settling down
Verse 12:
G D D/B D/A D
And they say her flower is faded now
D D/B D/A D
Hard weather and hard booze
D D/B D/A D/D
But maybe that's just the price you pay
A A G G
For the chains you refuse
Modified chorus:
G G Em9/B D
Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing
Bm7 A G A G
And I miss her more than ever words could say
G Em9/B D
If I could just taste, all of her wildness now
Bm7 A G A G D/F#
If I could hold her in my arms today
Em D/F# G D/A G/D A Asus4 D
Then I wouldn't want her any other way
[The outro is similar to intro ending on a high D chord (0 0 0 14 15 14)]
------------------
version 3
tuning (DADGBE), capo 3rd fret
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
A G
The Hawks against the Doves
D (D6)
I took a job in the steamie
Down on Caldrum Street
I fell in love with a laundry girl
A G
Was working next to me
Chorus
Bm A/C# D
She was a rare thing, fine as a Beeswing
G A G/B A/C# D
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
Bm A/C# D
She was a lost child, she was running wild
G A G/B A/C# D A/C#
She said, as long as there's no price on love I'll stay
G A G/B A/C# D
And you wouldn't want me any other way
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
D
last 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
-------------