The Pogues - The Best Of The Rest

File info:

Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 13:53:50 -0600
From: davies@ils.nwu.edu (Brian Davies)
Subject: CRD/TAB: Selections from Pogues' "The Best Of The Rest"

Hi folks!

  I just recently discovered the Pogues, and have been listening to little
else for the past couple weeks.  (This is after a long struggle to find
the Best Of The Pogues, v. I & II, which are out of print in the states.)
After picking through several of the songs, I checked out OLGA and
discovered that, of all the great tracks on v.II (personally, I think it's
a better album than The Best Of The Pogues) only Young Ned Of The Hill and
Summer In Siam had been transcribed.

  So here, to fill that gap, are 8 songs from that collection.  My
commentary is in {braces}.


  THE POGUES: THE BEST OF THE REST

Transcribed by Brian Davies
Send comments and corrections to davies@ils.nwu.edu
For more of my tablature, check out:
  http://www.ils.nwu.edu/~davies/


  IF I SHOULD FALL FROM GRACE WITH GOD  by Shane MacGowan


  [A] [D] [A] [F#m]
  [A] [D] [F#m] [E]
  [A] [D] [A] [F#m]
  [A] [D] [E] [A]

If I should [A] fall from grace with God
Where no [D] doctor can re[A]lieve me.
If I'm [A] buried 'neath the sod
But the [D] angels won't re[F#m]ceive me.

Let me [A] go, boys,
Let me go, [F#m] boys.
[A] Let me go down [D] in the [A] mud
Where the [E] rivers all run [A] dry.

  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]
  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]

This [A] land was always ours,
Was the [D] proud land of our [A] fathers.
It be[A]longs to us and them,
Not to [D] any of the [F#m] others.

Let them [A] go, boys,
Let them go, [F#m] boys.
[A] Let them go down [D] in the [A] mud
Where the [E] rivers all run [A] dry.

  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]
  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]

  [A] [E] [A] [A]  [A] [E] [A] [A]
  [A] [E] [A] [A]  [A] [E] [A] [A]
  [A] [D] [E] [A]  [A] [D] [E] [A]

[A] Bury me at sea
Where no [D] murdered ghost can [A] haunt me.
If I [A] rock upon the waves
Then no [D] corpse can lie up[F#m]on me.

It's coming up [A] threes, boys,
Coming up threes, [F#m] boys.
[A] Let them go down [D] in the [A] mud
Where the [E] rivers all run [A] dry.

  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]
  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]

If I should [A] fall from grace with God
Where no [D] doctor can re[A]lieve me.
If I'm [A] buried 'neath the sod
So the [D] angels won't re[F#m]ceive me.

Let me [A] go, boys,
Let me go, [F#m] boys.
[A] Let me go down [D] in the [A] mud
Where the [E] rivers all run [A] dry.

  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]
  [A] [A] [D] [A]  [A] [A] [E] [A]

  [A] [D] [A] [F#m]
  [A] [D] [F#m] [E]
  [A] [D] [A] [F#m]
  [A] [D] [E] [A]


  THE SICK BED OF CUCHULAINN  by Shane MacGowan


  [C] [Dm] [C] [Dm]
  [C] [Dm] [F] [C]

Mc[C]Cormack and Richard [Dm] Tauber are [C] singing by the [Dm] bed.
There's a [C] glass of punch be[Dm]low your feet and an [F] angel at your
[C] head.
There's [C] devils on each [Dm] side of you with [C] bottles in their [Dm]
hands.
You need [C] one more drop of [Dm] poison and you'll [Am] dream of foreign
[Am] lands.

When you [F] pissed yourself in [Bb] Frankfurt and got [C] syph down in
Co[F]logne
And you [F] heard the rattling [Bb] death trains as you [C] lay there all
a[F]lone,
Frank [F] Ryan brought you [C] whiskey in a [Bb] brothel in Ma[C]drid
And you [Bb] decked some fucking [Bb] blackshirt who was [C] cursing all
the [C] Yids.
At the [F] sick bed of Cu[F]chulainn we'll [Bb] kneel and say a [F] prayer
And the [Bb] ghosts are rattling [F] at the door and the [C] devil's in
the [F] chair.

  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]

And [F] in the Euston [Bb] Tavern you [C] screamed it was your [F] shout
But they [F] wouldn't give you [Bb] service so you [C] kicked the windows
[F] out.
They [F] took you out in[C]to the street and [Bb] kicked you in the [C] brains,
So you [Bb] walked back in through a [Bb] bolted door and [C] did it all
a[C]gain.
At the [F] sick bed of Cu[F]chulainn we'll [Bb] kneel and say a [F] prayer
And the [Bb] ghosts are rattling [F] at the door and the [C] devil's in
the [F] chair.

  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [C]

You re[C]member that foul [Dm] evening when you [C] heard the banshees
[Dm] howl,
There was [C] lazy drunken [Dm] bastards singing [F] 'Billy is in the [C] bowl.'
They [C] took you up to [Dm] midnight mass and [C] left you in the [Dm] lurch
So you [C] dropped a button [Dm] in the plate and [Am] spewed up in the
[Am] church.

Now you'll [F] sing a song of [Bb] liberty for [C] blacks and paks and [F] jocks
And they'll [F] take you from this [Bb] dump you're in and [C] stick you
in a [F] box.
Then they'll [F] take you to Clough[C]prior and [Bb] shove you in the [C] ground
But you'll [Bb] stick your head back [Bb] out and shout, "We'll [C] have
another [C] round."
At the [F] graveside of Cu[F]chulainn we'll [Bb] kneel around and [F] pray
And [Bb] God is in His [F] heaven, and [C] Billy's down by the [F] bay.

  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]

  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]


  THE OLD MAIN DRAG  by Shane MacGowan

{This song keeps a drone going underneath.  To get the same feel on a
guitar, finger the chords so that you get a constant D on the B string --
D=xx0232, G=320033, A=x02230.}

  Introduction on Verse Chords

When I [D] first came to [G] London I was [A] only six[D]teen
With a [G] fiver in my [A] pocket and my [D] ole dancing [A] bag.
I [G] went down to the [A] dilly to [D] check out the [A] scene
But I [D] soon ended [G] up upon the [A] old main [D] drag.

There the [D] he-males and the [G] she-males pa[A]raded in [D] style
And the [G] old man with the [A] money would [D] flash you a [A] smile.
In the [G] dark of an [A] alley you would [D] work for a [A] five
For a [D] swift one off the [G] wrist down on the [A] old main [D] drag.

In the [D] cold winter [G] nights the old [A] town it was [D] chill,
But there were [G] boys in the [A] cafes who'd [D] give you cheap [A] pills.
If you [G] didn't have the [A] money you'd ca[D]jole and you'd [A] beg.
There was [D] always lots of [G] Tuinol on the [A] old main [D] drag.

  [A]

One [D] evening as I was [G] lying down [A] in Leicester [D] Square,
I was [G] picked up by the [A] coppers and [D] kicked in the [A] balls.
Between the [G] metal doors at [A] Vine Street I was [D] beaten and [A] mauled
And they [D] ruined my [G] good looks for the [A] old main [D] drag.

In the [D] tube station the [G] old ones who were [A] on the way [D] out
Would [G] dribble and [A] vomit and [D] grovel and [A] shout,
And the [G] coppers would [A] come along and [D] push them a[A]bout,
And I [D] wished I could es[G]cape from the [A] old main [D] drag.

And [D] now I am [G] lying here I have [A] had too much [D] booze.
I've been [G] spat on and [A] shat on and [D] raped and a[A]bused.
I [G] know that I am [A] dying and I [D] wish I could [A] beg
For some [D] money to [G] take me from the [A] old main drag.


 DARK STREETS OF LONDON  by Shane MacGowan


  [F] [C] [Bb] [F]

I [F] like to walk in the [Bb] summer [F] breeze
Down [F] Dalling Road by the [Bb] dead old [C] trees
And [F] drink with my friends
In the [Bb] Hammersmith [F] Broadway
Dear [F] dirty de[Bb]lightful old [C] drunken old [F] days

Then the [F] winter came down and I [Bb] loved it so [F] dearly
The [F] pubs and the bookies where you'd [Bb] spend all your [C] time
And the [F] old men that were singing
When the [Bb] roses bloom a[F]gain
And [F] turn like the [Bb] leaves
To a [C] new summer[F]time

  And now the [F] winter comes down
  I [Bb] can't stand the [F] chill
  That [F] comes to the streets around [Bb] Christmas [C] time
  And I'm [F] buggered to damnation
  And I [Bb] haven't got a [F] penny
  To [F] wander the [Bb] dark streets of [C] Lon[F]don

  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [C] [Bb] [F]

And every [F] time that I look on the [Bb] first day of [F] summer
Takes me [F] back to the place where they [Bb] gave EC[C]T
And the [F] drugged up psychos with [Bb] death in their [F] eyes
And how [F] all of this [Bb] really means [C] nothing to [F] me

  Chorus

  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [C] [Bb] [F]

  Third Verse

  Chorus

To [F] wander the [Bb] dark streets of [C] Lon[F]don
To [F] wander the [Bb] dark streets of [C] Lon[F]don

  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [C]
  [F] [F] [Bb] [F]
  [F] [C] [Bb] [F]


  REPEAL OF THE LICENSING LAWS  by Spider Stacy

{There are two pieces to this song.  I've labelled them arbitrarily...}

  [G] [G] [G] [D]
  [G] [G] [D] [G]  =  Verse
  [D] [G] [C] [D]
  [G] [G] [D] [G]

  [G] [G] [G] [D]
  [G] [G] [D] [G]  =  Chorus
  [G] [G] [G] [D]
  [G] [G] [D] [G]

{The sequence is:

Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse (quiet), Chorus, Chorus, Chorus}


  TURKISH SONG OF THE DAMNED  by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer

{The tab is a little short on space for all the fast notes -- suffice it
to say that 23232 means a trill with hammer-ons and pull-offs, not a note
played at the 23,232th fret.}

(e) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
(B) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
(G) |-----------------|-----0-----------|-----------------|-----0---2-------|
(D) |-----0---23232-0-|-2323--232-------|-----0---23232-0-|-2323--2---------|
(A) |-0-1---0---------|---------------1-|-0-1---0---------|---------------0-|
(E) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
      1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4

(e) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
(B) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
(G) |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0---2-------|
(D) |-----------0-----|---0-------------|-----0---23232-0-|-2323--2---------|
(A) |-01010-0-1---0-0-|-1---0-1---------|-0-1---0---------|-----------------|
(E) |-----------------|---------3-----3-|-----------------|-----------------|
      1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4     1   2   3   4

I [Am] come old friend from hell tonight across the rotting sea.
Nor the [Am] nails of the cross nor the blood of Christ
  Can bring you help this eve.
The [Dm] dead have come to claim a debt from [Am] thee.
They [Dm] stand outside your door four score and [Am] three. [G]

  Did you [C] keep a watch for the [F] dead man's wind,
  Did you [C] see the woman with the [G] comb in her hand,
  [C] Wailing away on the [F] wall on the strand
  As you [C] danced to the Turkish [G] song of the damned.

  [Am] [Am] [Dm]

You re[Am]member when the ship went down, you left me on the deck.
The [Am] captain's corpse jumped up and threw his arms around my neck.
For [Dm] all these years I've had him on my [Am] back.
This [Dm] debt cannot be paid with all your [Am] jack. [G]

  Chorus Twice

  [Am] [Am] [Dm]

  Repeat Intro Riff

And [Am] as I sit and talk to you I see your face go white.
This [Am] shadow hanging over me is no trick of the light.
The [Dm] spectre on my back will soon be [Am] free.
The [Dm] dead have come to claim a debt from [Am] thee. [G]

  Chorus Thrice

  Whistle Solo Over Chorus Twice

  Final Riff Seven Times

      |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|   |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-----|
(e) |-------------------------|-------------0-------------|
(B) |-------------------------|---------1-3---3-1---------|
(G) |-0---0-0---0-2---2-2-0-2-|-0---0-0-----------0-2-0---|
(D) |---------2---------------|---------------------------|
(A) |-------------------------|---------------------------|
(E) |-------------------------|---------------------------|
      1     2     3     4       1     2     3     4

      |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-|   |-3-| |-3-| |-3-| |-3-----|
(e) |-------------------------|---------------------------|
(B) |-------------------------|---------------------------|
(G) |-0---0-0---0-2---2-2-0-2-|-0-----------0-------------|
(D) |---------2---------------|---2-0---0-2---2-0---0-2---|
(A) |-------------------------|-------3-----------3-------|
(E) |-------------------------|---------------------------|
      1     2     3     4       1     2     3     4


  LULLABY OF LONDON  by Shane MacGowan

{I fingerpick this, with my thumb on the bass string (either E or A),
index finger on the D string, and ring finger on the G string.  I play it
straight quarter notes: thumb, index, ring, index, etc.}

  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G]

  [C] [C] [C] [C]

As [C] I walked [F] down by the [C] river[F]side
One [C] evening [F] in the [C] spring, [C]
Heard a [C] long gone [F] song from [C] days gone [F] by
Blown [C] in on the [F] great North [C] wind. [C]
Though there [F] is no lonesome [C] corncrake's cry
Of [Am] sorrow and de[F]light,
You can [C] hear the [F] cars and the [C] shouts from [F] bars
And the [C] laughter [F] and the [C] fights. [C]

May the [F] ghosts that howled round the [C] house at night
Never [Am] keep you from your [F] sleep.
May they [C] all sleep [F] tight down in [C] hell to[F]night
Or [C] wherever [F] they may [C] be. [C]

  [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G]

  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G]

As [C] I walked [F] on with a [C] heavy [F] heart
Then a [C] stone danced [F] on the [C] tide, [C]
And the [C] song went [F] on though the [C] lights were [F] gone
And the [C] North wind [F] gently [C] sighed, [C]
And an [F] evening breeze coming [C] from the East
That [Am] kissed the river[F]side.
So I [C] pray now [F] child that you [C] sleep to[F]night
When you [C] hear this [F] lulla[C]by. [C]

May the [F] wind that blows from [C] haunted graves
Never [Am] bring you miser[F]y.
May the [C] angels [F] bright watch [C] you to[F]night
And [C] keep you [F] while you [C] sleep. [C]

  [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G]

  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G]

  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [F] [G]
  [C] [C] [G] [G] [C]


  SUNNYSIDE OF THE STREET  by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer


  [E] [B] [E] [A]  [E] [B] [E] [B]
  [E] [B] [E] [A]  [E] [B]

  [E] [A] [E] [A]

[E] Seen the carni[A]val at Rome,
[E] Had the women I [A] had the [B] booze.
[E] All I can re[A]member now
[E] Is little kids with[A]out no [B] shoes.

So I [E] saw that train and [B] I got on it
With a [E] heartful of hate and a [A] lust for vomit.
Now I'm [E] walking on the [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.

  [E] [A] [E] [A]

[E] Stepped over bodies [A] in Bombay
[E] Tried to make it to the [A] U. S. [B] A.
[E] Ended up [A] in Nepal
[E] Up on a roof with [A] nothing at [B] all

And I [E] knew that [B] day
I was [E] going to [A] stay
Right where I [E] am, on the [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.

  [E] [A] [E] [A]

  Solo On Verse Chords

[A] Been in a palace, and I've [E] been in a jail;
[A] I just don't want to be re[E]born a [B] snail.

Just [E] want to [B] spend
E[E]terni[A]ty
Right where I [E] am, on the [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.

  [E] [A] [E] [A]

As my [E] mother wept it was [B] then I swore
To [E] take my life as I [A] would a whore.
I [E] know I'm better [B] than before.
I will [E] not be recon[A]structed.
So I [E] stay right here on the [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.

The [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.
The [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.
The [B] sunnyside of the [E] street.

  [E] [B] [E] [A]  [E] [B] [E] [B]
  [E] [B] [E] [A]  [E] [B] [E] [B]

----------------------------------- END -----------------------------------

For those of you that got all the way through that, here are a couple of
bonus fragments.


  BOYS FROM THE COUNTY HELL

{Here's the chorus.}

And it's [G] lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a [D] drink
And [Em] mother wake me [Am] early in the [Em] morning


  HELLS DITCH

{There are three main riffs.}

RIFF 1:  [Am7] [Am] [Am] [Am] [Am] [Am] [Am] [Am]

RIFF 2:  [Dm] [Am] [E] [Am]
         [Dm] [Am] [E] [Am]  for a while

{Do the first thing again, speeding up.}

RIFF 3:  [Am] [Am] [Dm] [Dm] [Am] [E] [Am] [Am]  for a while