The Poor Ditching Boy Richard Thompson

 
 



 
 
 <br/>
 Here's a song by Richard Thompson, "The Poor Ditching Boy," off <br/>
 _Starring as Henry the Human Fly_.  fortunately, this album has been <br/>
 rereleased by Rykodisk.  It's definitely worth the money.<br/>
 <br/>
 It's in open-g:  dgdgbd (drop 6, 5, 1 one whole step--notice that this makes<br/>
 your guitar have the same shape as an a major open chord)<br/>
 <br/>
 You should embellish these chords as much as you feel confident to do and/or <br/>
 is tasteful.  Richard certainly does.  The nature of the alternate means that <br/>
 the open strings will never be dissonant with each other or notes in the g<br/>
 major scale, so if in doubt they will be ok.  I'm not entirely sure what he <br/>
 does in this song as he has a violin player as well as his guitar.  It <br/>
 works nicely with two guitarists, though.  Best way to get a feel for this <br/>
 is to listen really carefully to the song.  I don't think Richard plays the <br/>
 bits exactly the same way each time through.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 Tab (notes given relative to open g tuning):  <br/>
 <br/>
 g variant 1 x05035<br/>
 g variant 2 x00000<br/>
 a minor 7 x02012<br/>
 a minor 7 sus 4 variant 1 x02010<br/>
 b minor 7 minor 6 x04232<br/>
 d 7 sus 4 x04010 <br/>
 a minor 7 sus 2 variant 2 x20010<br/>
 <br/>
 The astute reader will note quickly that the a minor 7 <br/>
 doesn't have an a in it!  Perhaps I should have called it a c major. :) <br/>
 <br/>
 Lyrics and chord outline (verses are all the same as the first one):<br/>
 <br/>
 g 1 <br/>
 Has there ever been a winter so cold and so sad,<br/>
 g1 (or g2)           a min 7<br/>
 A river too weary to flood?<br/>
 g 1<br/>
 The storm and the wind cut through to my skin, <br/>
 g 1 (or g 2)              a min 7<br/>
 But she cut through to my blood.<br/>
 <br/>
 I wasn't lookin' for trouble to tangle my line,<br/>
 But trouble came lookin' for me.<br/>
 I knew I was on unsteady ground, <br/>
 I was sinkin' too fast to run free.<br/>
 <br/>
 [chorus]:<br/>
 amin7 amin7/2 bmin7   g2 <br/>
 With her schemin', idle ways,<br/>
 amin7 amin7/2  g2 <br/>
 She left me poor enough.<br/>
 g2<br/>
 The stormin' wind cut through to my skin,<br/>
 amin7  d76  g1<br/>
 But she cut through to my blood.  <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 I would not be askin', I would not be seen,<br/>
 Beggin' from mountain or hill,<br/>
 But I'm ready and blind with my hands tied behind,<br/>
 I've neither a mind nor a will.<br/>
 <br/>
 [chorus]<br/>
 <br/>
 It's bitter the need of the poor ditching boy,<br/>
 He'll always believe what they say,<br/>
 They tell him it's hard to be honest and true,<br/>
 Does he mind if he doesn't get payed?<br/>
 <br/>
 [chorus]<br/>
 [repeat last line of chorus]<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
  <br/>
 -- <br/>
 Jay Verkuilen jayv@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu<br/>
 In the warped world of Mattel talking doll conversations: <br/>
 Talking Barbie(TM)--"Math is tough!"<br/>
 Talking Ken(TM)--"Group theory is intuitively obvious."<br/>
 <br/>
 
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The Poor Ditching Boy

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{t:The Poor Ditching Boy}
 {st:Richard Thompson}
 {sot}
 
 #----------------------------------PLEASE&nbsp;NOTE---------------------------------# 
 #This&nbsp;file&nbsp;is&nbsp;the&nbsp;author's&nbsp;own&nbsp;work&nbsp;and&nbsp;represents&nbsp;their&nbsp;interpretation&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;# 
 #song.&nbsp;You&nbsp;may&nbsp;only&nbsp;use&nbsp;this&nbsp;file&nbsp;for&nbsp;private&nbsp;study,&nbsp;scholarship,&nbsp;or&nbsp;research.&nbsp;# 
 
 
 
 Here's&nbsp;a&nbsp;song&nbsp;by&nbsp;Richard&nbsp;Thompson,&nbsp;"The&nbsp;Poor&nbsp;Ditching&nbsp;Boy,"&nbsp;off&nbsp; 
 _Starring&nbsp;as&nbsp;Henry&nbsp;the&nbsp;Human&nbsp;Fly_.&nbsp;&nbsp;fortunately,&nbsp;this&nbsp;album&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp; 
 rereleased&nbsp;by&nbsp;Rykodisk.&nbsp;&nbsp;It's&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;worth&nbsp;the&nbsp;money. 
 
 It's&nbsp;in&nbsp;open-g:&nbsp;&nbsp;dgdgbd&nbsp;(drop&nbsp;6,&nbsp;5,&nbsp;1&nbsp;one&nbsp;whole&nbsp;step--notice&nbsp;that&nbsp;this&nbsp;makes 
 your&nbsp;guitar&nbsp;have&nbsp;the&nbsp;same&nbsp;shape&nbsp;as&nbsp;an&nbsp;a&nbsp;major&nbsp;open&nbsp;chord) 
 
 You&nbsp;should&nbsp;embellish&nbsp;these&nbsp;chords&nbsp;as&nbsp;much&nbsp;as&nbsp;you&nbsp;feel&nbsp;confident&nbsp;to&nbsp;do&nbsp;and/or&nbsp; 
 is&nbsp;tasteful.&nbsp;&nbsp;Richard&nbsp;certainly&nbsp;does.&nbsp;&nbsp;The&nbsp;nature&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;alternate&nbsp;means&nbsp;that&nbsp; 
 the&nbsp;open&nbsp;strings&nbsp;will&nbsp;never&nbsp;be&nbsp;dissonant&nbsp;with&nbsp;each&nbsp;other&nbsp;or&nbsp;notes&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;g 
 major&nbsp;scale,&nbsp;so&nbsp;if&nbsp;in&nbsp;doubt&nbsp;they&nbsp;will&nbsp;be&nbsp;ok.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;not&nbsp;entirely&nbsp;sure&nbsp;what&nbsp;he&nbsp; 
 does&nbsp;in&nbsp;this&nbsp;song&nbsp;as&nbsp;he&nbsp;has&nbsp;a&nbsp;violin&nbsp;player&nbsp;as&nbsp;well&nbsp;as&nbsp;his&nbsp;guitar.&nbsp;&nbsp;It&nbsp; 
 works&nbsp;nicely&nbsp;with&nbsp;two&nbsp;guitarists,&nbsp;though.&nbsp;&nbsp;Best&nbsp;way&nbsp;to&nbsp;get&nbsp;a&nbsp;feel&nbsp;for&nbsp;this&nbsp; 
 is&nbsp;to&nbsp;listen&nbsp;really&nbsp;carefully&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;song.&nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp;don't&nbsp;think&nbsp;Richard&nbsp;plays&nbsp;the&nbsp; 
 bits&nbsp;exactly&nbsp;the&nbsp;same&nbsp;way&nbsp;each&nbsp;time&nbsp;through. 
 
 
 Tab&nbsp;(notes&nbsp;given&nbsp;relative&nbsp;to&nbsp;open&nbsp;g&nbsp;tuning):&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
 g&nbsp;variant&nbsp;1&nbsp;x05035 
 g&nbsp;variant&nbsp;2&nbsp;x00000 
 a&nbsp;minor&nbsp;7&nbsp;x02012 
 a&nbsp;minor&nbsp;7&nbsp;sus&nbsp;4&nbsp;variant&nbsp;1&nbsp;x02010 
 b&nbsp;minor&nbsp;7&nbsp;minor&nbsp;6&nbsp;x04232 
 d&nbsp;7&nbsp;sus&nbsp;4&nbsp;x04010&nbsp; 
 a&nbsp;minor&nbsp;7&nbsp;sus&nbsp;2&nbsp;variant&nbsp;2&nbsp;x20010 
 
 The&nbsp;astute&nbsp;reader&nbsp;will&nbsp;note&nbsp;quickly&nbsp;that&nbsp;the&nbsp;a&nbsp;minor&nbsp;7&nbsp; 
 doesn't&nbsp;have&nbsp;an&nbsp;a&nbsp;in&nbsp;it!&nbsp;&nbsp;Perhaps&nbsp;I&nbsp;should&nbsp;have&nbsp;called&nbsp;it&nbsp;a&nbsp;c&nbsp;major.&nbsp;:)&nbsp; 
 
 Lyrics&nbsp;and&nbsp;chord&nbsp;outline&nbsp;(verses&nbsp;are&nbsp;all&nbsp;the&nbsp;same&nbsp;as&nbsp;the&nbsp;first&nbsp;one): 
 
 g&nbsp;1&nbsp; 
 Has&nbsp;there&nbsp;ever&nbsp;been&nbsp;a&nbsp;winter&nbsp;so&nbsp;cold&nbsp;and&nbsp;so&nbsp;sad, 
 g1&nbsp;(or&nbsp;g2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a&nbsp;min&nbsp;7 
 A&nbsp;river&nbsp;too&nbsp;weary&nbsp;to&nbsp;flood? 
 g&nbsp;1 
 The&nbsp;storm&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;wind&nbsp;cut&nbsp;through&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;skin,&nbsp; 
 g&nbsp;1&nbsp;(or&nbsp;g&nbsp;2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;a&nbsp;min&nbsp;7 
 But&nbsp;she&nbsp;cut&nbsp;through&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;blood. 
 
 I&nbsp;wasn't&nbsp;lookin'&nbsp;for&nbsp;trouble&nbsp;to&nbsp;tangle&nbsp;my&nbsp;line, 
 But&nbsp;trouble&nbsp;came&nbsp;lookin'&nbsp;for&nbsp;me. 
 I&nbsp;knew&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;on&nbsp;unsteady&nbsp;ground,&nbsp; 
 I&nbsp;was&nbsp;sinkin'&nbsp;too&nbsp;fast&nbsp;to&nbsp;run&nbsp;free. 
 
 [chorus]: 
 amin7&nbsp;amin7/2&nbsp;bmin7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;g2&nbsp; 
 With&nbsp;her&nbsp;schemin',&nbsp;idle&nbsp;ways, 
 amin7&nbsp;amin7/2&nbsp;&nbsp;g2&nbsp; 
 She&nbsp;left&nbsp;me&nbsp;poor&nbsp;enough. 
 g2 
 The&nbsp;stormin'&nbsp;wind&nbsp;cut&nbsp;through&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;skin, 
 amin7&nbsp;&nbsp;d76&nbsp;&nbsp;g1 
 But&nbsp;she&nbsp;cut&nbsp;through&nbsp;to&nbsp;my&nbsp;blood.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 I&nbsp;would&nbsp;not&nbsp;be&nbsp;askin',&nbsp;I&nbsp;would&nbsp;not&nbsp;be&nbsp;seen, 
 Beggin'&nbsp;from&nbsp;mountain&nbsp;or&nbsp;hill, 
 But&nbsp;I'm&nbsp;ready&nbsp;and&nbsp;blind&nbsp;with&nbsp;my&nbsp;hands&nbsp;tied&nbsp;behind, 
 I've&nbsp;neither&nbsp;a&nbsp;mind&nbsp;nor&nbsp;a&nbsp;will. 
 
 [chorus] 
 
 It's&nbsp;bitter&nbsp;the&nbsp;need&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;poor&nbsp;ditching&nbsp;boy, 
 He'll&nbsp;always&nbsp;believe&nbsp;what&nbsp;they&nbsp;say, 
 They&nbsp;tell&nbsp;him&nbsp;it's&nbsp;hard&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;honest&nbsp;and&nbsp;true, 
 Does&nbsp;he&nbsp;mind&nbsp;if&nbsp;he&nbsp;doesn't&nbsp;get&nbsp;payed? 
 
 [chorus] 
 [repeat&nbsp;last&nbsp;line&nbsp;of&nbsp;chorus] 
 
 
 
 &nbsp; 
 --&nbsp; 
 Jay&nbsp;Verkuilen jayv@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu 
 In&nbsp;the&nbsp;warped&nbsp;world&nbsp;of&nbsp;Mattel&nbsp;talking&nbsp;doll&nbsp;conversations:&nbsp; 
 Talking&nbsp;Barbie(TM)--"Math&nbsp;is&nbsp;tough!" 
 Talking&nbsp;Ken(TM)--"Group&nbsp;theory&nbsp;is&nbsp;intuitively&nbsp;obvious." 
 
 
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The Poor Ditching Boy Richard Thompson

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