Words and music by Ian Anderson from Secret Language of Birds
Transcription by Peter Dawson with thanks to Håkan for help, all
corrections are welcome.
4:4 time
Tablature shows my
best attempt at the “Reel” intro. The
first two bars (Riff 1) and the second two bars (Riff 2) are played in turns
after each line of the verse. Note for
the last line of the verse there is a variation in riff 2. The spacing roughly indicates timing. Dots after some notes indicate a “dotted”
rhythm. Triplets start all bars and are
shown in italics.
|Riff 1 |Riff 2 (last
time variation shown in brackets).
|----3.------0------|------------------|----3.------0------|------------------|
|000----0-0.---0.-0-|------------------|000----0-0.---0.-0-|------------------|
|-------------------|242—0.---0.—-0.-2-|-------------------|242--0.---0.--(0)-|
|-------------------|-------4---4------|-------------------|--------4(2.)4-2--|
|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|------------------|
|-------------------|------------------|-------------------|------------------|
Verse 1
[Em]Cool in the corner, tom [Dsus4]cat sit[D]ting [Riff 1]
on the [Em]edge of the yard; sand-[Dsus4]flies
flit[D]ting. [Riff 2]
[Em]Orange order in a [Dsus4]field
of [D]green. [Riff 1D]
[Em]Smothers me to smith[Dsus4]er[D]eens. [Riff 2]
Chorus
[G]Rum and cola, ice cubes [D]crashing.
[C]Jumping beans and [Em]brown
eyes [D]flashing.
[G]Long hair swinging, tell me how d'you feel?
[D]Well, [C]hot and [D]fancy, it's the [Em]habanero
[C]reel.[add D before Middle-8]
Riff 1 & 2.
Verse 2
Troubled skin? Pour oil upon it.
She's fit to burn in her new Scotch Bonnet.
Spice up anybody's stew.
Frogs and goats and chickens
too.
Chorus
“Middle 8”
[G]Barefoot in the [C]sunshine.[D
G(7th pos) D(5th pos) D(10th pos)]
[D]Kicking empty beer cans [G]down on a [C]high
tide [D]line. [Dsus2&4 var]
[D]Big wave nearly [Em]float
your [D]dress away.[Am, Am7, Amsus2, Am(5th pos)]
And I'm [G]thinking that it's [D]just [G]another
[C]day:
just an[D]other day.
Riff 1 & 2.
Verse 3
Feel that hot rush starts its tickle.
Sweat is rising, taste buds prickle
with ears of bat and eye of eagle.
It's just as well it's
strictly legal.
Chorus & finish with
“Middle 8”; “Barefoot in the sunshine ...”