Richard Thompson : I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

C

F6

C

Dirty people, take what's mine

F

G

I can leave them all behind

C

G/b

Am

C/g

They can never cross that line

F

G

When I get to the border Sawbones standing at the door Waiting 'til I hit the floor He won't find me anymore When I get to the border

G

Monday morning, Monday morning

G

Closing in on me

G

D/f#

Em

I'm packing up and running away

C

D

To where nobody picks on me If you see a box of pine With a name that looks like mine Just say I drowned in a barrel of wine When I got to the border A one-way ticket's in my hand Heading for the chosen land My troubles will all turn to sand When I get to the border Salty girl with yellow hair Waiting in that rocking chair And if I'm weary I won't care When I get to the border Monday morning, Monday morning Closing in on me I'm packing up and running away To where nobody picks on me Dusty road will smell so sweet Paved with gold beneath my feet And I'll be dancing down the street When I get to the border When I get to the border

|

F

|

Am

|

G

| ... I was under the Calvary Cross The pale-face lady she said to me I've watched you with my one green eye And I'll hurt you till you need me You scuff your heels and you spit on your shoes You do nothing with reason One day you catch a train Never leaves the station

C

Everything you do

F(viii)

Everything you do

C

G

You do for me Now you can make believe on your tin whistle You can be my broom boy Scrub me till I shine in the dark I'll be your light till doomsday Black cat cross your path Why don't you follow My claw's in you and my light's in you This is your first day of sorrow Everything you do Everything you do You do for me

C

F

This cruel country has driven me down

G

C

F

G

Teased me and lied, teased me and lied

C

F

I've only sad stories to tell to this town

G

C

My dreams have withered and died

F

C

Dm

Once I was bending the tops of the trees

C

Dm

Am

G

Kind words in my ear, kind faces to see Then I struck up with a boy from the West Played run and hide, played run and hide Count one to ten and he's gone with the rest My dreams have withered and died Silver moon sail up and silver moon shine On the waters so wide, waters so wide Steal from the bed of some good friend of mine My dreams have withered and died If I was a butterfly lived for a day Then I could be free just blowing away This cruel country has driven me down Teased me and lied, teased me and lied I've only sad stories to tell to this town My dreams have withered and died

C

Bb

F/a

G

C

I'm so tired of working everyday

G

C

Now the weekend's come, I'm gonna throw my troubles away

C

Bb

F/a

G

C

If you've got the cab fare, mister, you'll do alright

C

G/b

F/a

G

C

I want to see the bright lights tonight

F

Meet me at the station, don't be late

G

F

G

I need to spend some money and I just can't wait

F

C/e

Dm

C

Take me to the dance and hold me tight

C

G/b

F/a

G

C

I want to see the bright lights tonight There's crazy people running all over town There's a silver band just marching up and down And the big boys are all spoiling for a fight I want to see the bright lights tonight Meet me at the station don't be late I need to spend some money and I just can't wait Take me to the dance and hold me tight I want to see the bright lights tonight A couple of drunken nights rolling on the floor Is just the kind of mess I'm looking for I'm gonna dream till Monday comes in sight I want to see the bright lights tonight Meet me at the station don't be late I need to spend some money and I just can't wait Take me to the dance and hold me tight I want to see the bright lights tonight

F

C/e

Dm

C

Take me to the dance and hold me tight

C

G/b

F/a

G

C

I want to see the bright lights tonight

C

F

C

Tuning: DADGBE (Drop D)

D

See the boys out walking

A

D

Oh, the boys they look so fine

G

D

Dressed up in green velvet

G

A

Their silver buckles shine

D

A/c#

G/b

Soon they'll be bleary-eyed

A

G

Under a keg of wine

G

Bm

A

A7sus4

Down where the drunkards roll Down where the drunkards roll See that lover standing Staring at the ground He's looking for the real thing Lies were all he found You can get the real thing It will only cost a pound Down where the drunkards roll Down where the drunkards roll There goes a troubled woman She dreams a troubled dream She lives out on the highway She keeps her money clean Soon she'll be returning To the place where she's the queen Down where the drunkards roll Down where the drunkards roll Now you can be a gambler Who never drew a hand And you can be a sailor Who never left dry land You can be Lord Jesus All the world will understand Down where the drunkards roll Down where the drunkards roll

|

A

E

|

A

Asus4

E

|

A

E

A man is like a rusty wheel

A

E

On a rusty cart

A

E/g#

F#m

D

E

He sings his song as he rattles along

D

E

A

And then he falls apart

A

E

And we'll sing hallelujah

A

E

At the turning of the year

A

E/g#

F#m

D

E

And we work all day in the old-fashioned way

D

E

A

'Til the shining star appears A man is like a briar He covers himself with thorns He laughs like a clown when his fortune's down And his clothes are ragged and torn And we'll sing hallelujah At the turning of the year And we work all day in the old-fashioned way 'Til the shining star appears A man is like a three string fiddle Hanging up on the wall He plays when somebody scrapes on the bow Or he can't play at all And we'll sing hallelujah At the turning of the year And we work all day in the old-fashioned way 'Til the shining star appears A man is like his father Wishes he never was born He longs for the time when the clock will chime And he's dead forevermore And we'll sing hallelujah At the turning of the year And we work all day in the old-fashioned way 'Til the shining star appears

Capo:

III

A

Em

C

G

C

G

Saturday night and I'm all alone

D

A7

No ring on the doorbell, no ring on the phone

Em

G/d

C

F

G

And nobody wants to know anyone lonely like me (

G

)

D

G

Your boyfriend's good looking, he's got it all there Looks like god made him, with something to spare You look good together, scurrying off down the street (

G

)

D

G

D

Has he got a friend?

C

G

Has he got a friend for me?

D

Has he got a friend?

C

A

Has he got a friend for me? (

A

)

Em

C

G/b

He's got the haunt of the sea in his eyes He wouldn't notice me passing by I could be in the gutter Or dangling down from a tree (

G

)

D

Am

C

G

If he knows someone who's graceful and wise Doesn't mind girls who are clumsy and shy I don't mind going with someone that I've never seen (

G

)

Dm7

G

Has he got a friend Has he got a friend for me? Has he got a friend Has he got a friend for me? (

A

)

Em

C

G/b

D

A

F

D

Am

Em

G

D

G

I'm just a little beggar girl and Sally is my name

G

F

C

G

You can call me a skiver and I'll call you the same

G

F

C

F

You can show me you're sorry if you think it's a shame

G

C

F

G

That I'm only a poor little beggar girl

G

D

Yes, I'm only a poor little beggar girl

G

F

C

F

You can show me you're sorry if you think it's a shame

G

C

F

G

D

That I'm only a poor little beggar girl I'll dance with me peg-leg a-wiggling at the knee I'll play on the accordion my father gave to me For it's well worth it all to please a gent such as thee For I'm only a poor little beggar girl Yes, I'm only a poor little beggar girl And it's well worth it all to please a gent such as thee For I'm only a poor little beggar girl I've been down to London, I've been up to Crewe I travel far and wide to do the work that I do 'Cause I love taking money off a snob like you For I'm only a poor little beggar girl Yes, I'm only a poor little beggar girl And I love taking money off a snob like you For I'm only a poor little beggar girl |

Em

D

|

Em

D

|

Em

D

|

G

D

|

Em

D

|

x2

|

Em

D

|

G/b

D/a

| Oh, the poor they will be rich and the rich they will be poor That's according to Saul when he wrote down the law And I'd much rather be rich after than before For I'm only a poor little beggar girl Yes, I'm only a poor little beggar girl And I'd much rather be rich after than before For I'm only a poor little beggar girl If the words of me song do your conscience alarm Just remember generosity is like a lucky charm If you give me your money, it'll do you no harm For I'm only a poor little beggar girl Yes, I'm only a poor little beggar girl If you give me your money, it'll do you no harm For I'm only a poor little beggar girl

Capo:

III

Dm/f

|

Am/e

|

Am/g

|

Dm/a

|

Am7

|

C/g

G

|

G

|

Am

F

I feel for you, you little horror

Dm

G

Safe at your mother's breast

F

C

F

G

No lucky break for you around the corner

Am

F

'Cause your father is a bully

Dm

G

And he thinks that you're a pest

Bb

C/g

Am

And your sister she's no better than a whore

Dm

Am

F

G

Life seems so rosy in the cradle

Am

G

F

G

But I'll be a friend I'll tell you what's in store

Dm

Am

F

G

There's nothing at the end of the rainbow

Am

G

F

G

There's nothing to grow up for anymore Tycoons and barrow boys will rob you And throw you on the side And all because they love themselves sincerely And the man holds a bread knife Up to you throat it's four feet wide And he's anxious just to show you what it's for Your mother works so hard to make you happy But take a look outside your nursery door There's nothing at the end of the rainbow There's nothing to grow up for anymore All the sad and empty faces That pass you in the street All running in their sleep, all in a dream Every loving handshake Is just another man to beat How your heart aches just to cut him to the core Life seems so rosy in the cradle But I'll be a friend I'll tell you what's in store There's nothing at the end of the rainbow There's nothing to grow up for anymore

Capo:

II

[Show chord shapes]

Am6/bb x12030

Bbm6/f 1x302x

Dm6/a x03431

Bm7b5 x2323x

|

A5

|

A9

|

A5

|

A9

|

Asus2

Gm6/bb

Bbm6/f

High up above the crowd

Asus2

Dm6/a

The great Valerio is walking

Asus2

Gm6/bb

Bbm6/f

The rope seems hung from cloud to cloud

Asus2

G

And time stands still while he is walking

F

Bm7b5

Asus2

His eye is steady on the target

F

G7

Csus4

C/e

His foot is sure upon the rope

Asus4

Dsus2

Alone and peaceful as a mountain

Gm6/bb

E+

E/g#

Asus2

A9

Asus2

A9

And certain as a mountain slope We falter at the sight We stumble in the mire Fools who think they see the light Prepare to balance on the wire But we learn to watch together And feed on what we see above Until our hearts turn like the season And we are acrobats of love

B7

C

F

How we wonder, how we wonder

G

C

F

F#m

Watching far below

Asus2

Dsus2

We would all be that great hero

Gm6/bb

E+

E/g#

Asus2

A9

The great Valerio

Dm(add4)/a

A9

Dm(add4)

Asus2

A9

Come all you upstart jugglers Are you really ready yet Who will help the tightrope walker When he tumbles to the net So come with me to see Valerio As he dances through the air I'm your friend until you use me And then be sure that I'm not there How we wonder, how we wonder Watching far below We would all be that great hero The great Valerio

A(b5)

A9b5

A9+

Richard Thompson : I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
1974

When I Get To The Border

The Calvary Cross

Withered And Died

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Down Where The Drunkards Roll

We Sing Hallelujah

Has He Got A Friend For Me?

The Little Beggar Girl

The End Of The Rainbow

The Great Valerio

Richard Thompson : I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight 1974

When I Get To The Border

The Calvary Cross

Withered And Died

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Down Where The Drunkards Roll

We Sing Hallelujah

Has He Got A Friend For Me?

The Little Beggar Girl

The End Of The Rainbow

The Great Valerio

Richard Thompson : I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
1974