Current 93

Oh Coal Black Smith

Current 93


Tom: Em

Em                        C
Oh she looked out of the window
Em               C
As white as any milk
Em                   C
But he looked in the window
Em              C
As black as any silk
Em               C
"Hello hello hello hello
Em                  C
Hello you coal black smith
Em                    C
Oh what is your silly song?
Em                       C
You shall never change my maiden name
Em                   C
That I have kept so long

Em C


Chorus:

Em                  C
I'd rather die a maid, yes"
Em             C
But then she said
Em                   C
"And be buried in my grave, yes"
Em             C
And then she said
Am
"Than I'd have such a nasty, husky, dusky, musty, fusty coal black smith,

Em C x2

Verse:

Em              C
A maiden will I die"

Em C

Em              C
A maiden will I die"

Em C

Em                 C
Then she became a duck
Em                  C
A duck all on the stream
Em                   C
And he became a water dog

Em C

Em                    C
And fetched her back again

Em C x2

Em                 C
Then she became a hare
Em                 C
A hare all on the plain
Em                 C
And he became a greyhound dog

Em C

Am
And fetched her back again
Em                 C
Then she became a fly
Em                C
A fly all in the air
Em                C
And he became a spider

Em C

                        Em    C
And fetched her to his lair

Em C 

Chorus:

Em                  C
I'd rather die a maid 
Em             C
But then she said
Em                   C
"And be buried in my grave 
Em             C
And then she said
Am
"That I'd have such a nasty, husky, dusky, musty, fusty coal black smith,

Em C x2

:|When you reach this point, repeat everything above

Verse:

Em              C
A maiden will I die"   x7

Em  C

Em                        C
Oh she looked out of the window
Em               C
As white as any milk
Em                   C
But he looked in the window
Em              C
As black as any silk
Em               C
"Hello hello hello hello
Em                 Am
Hello you coal black smith
Am
Oh what is your silly song?
Am
You shall never change my maiden name
Am                   Em
That I have kept so long

Em C x2


Chorus:

Em                  C
I'd rather die a maid 
Em             C
But then she said
Em                   C
"And be buried in my grave 
Em             C
And then she said
Am
"That I'd have such a nasty, husky, dusky, musty, fusty coal black smith,
Em              C
A maiden will I die" 


Verse:

Em                 C
Then she became a duck
Em                  C
A duck all on the stream
Em                   C
And he became a water dog
Em                    C
And fetched her back again
Em                 C
Then she became a hare
Em                 C
A hare all on the plain
Em                 C
And he became a greyhound dog
Am
And fetched her back once more
Em                 C
Then she became a fly
Em                C
A fly all in the air
Em                C
And he became a spider

Em C
                        Am
And fetched her to his lair
Am
And fetched her to his lair

[Spoken word part: "Man is a best of prey..."]

Ending (also spoken): 

And she became a corpse,
A corpse all In the ground
And he became the cold grey clay
And smothered her all around

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