Biography:
Jake Thackray (27 February, 1938 - 24 December, 2002) was a singer-songwriter in the tradition of French chansonniers such as his friend and inspiration Georges Brassens. Born in Yorkshire and educated at the highly respected University of Durham, Thackray became a teacher in the early 1960s and started singing, both in folk clubs and to amuse his students. He became a familiar figure on television in the late 1960s, often composing a new song every week.
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Four years of hard work!
This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
Stunned to find not a single Jake Thackray ballad here.
If you've not heard any of Jake's work then I strongly suggest you check him out
on Youtube and read his bio at www.jakethackray.com
A true wordsmith in idiosyncratic English humour.
The Lodger – Jake Thackray
Am E
My landlady had three lovely daughters.
E Am
They used to come and make my bed each day
Am E
They used to come and clean my living quarters,
E Am
But their mother made quite sure they didn't stay.
Dm
There was Mary: she seemed chary;
Am E
There was Helen: she seemed well and truly sceptical
Am
about my qualities;
Dm Am
There was Julie: she was truly well-proportioned, but her
E Am
caution brought exhaustion on my aching arteries.
Am E
But I was wrong: they weren't at all impervious
E Am
To the possibilities of high romance
Am E
And I sensed a certain girlish nerviness
E Am
In the way they folded my pyjama pants.
Dm
And I was right, for late one night
Am
Sweet little Mary, like a fairy,
E Am
As I lay sleeping, came a-creeping to my side.
Dm Am
She was mine: it was divine - but we were doomed, for very soon
E Am Am Am Am
Into the room came sister Helen, and she (3/4) cried:
A E E7 A
"Mary, go to bed!" Off Mary went.
A7 D E A
"Now, young man," Helen said, "for your punishment,
A E E7 A
"We mustn't have a fight, we mustn't make a row:
A D E Am Am Am Am
"Turn off the light - it's my turn (4/4) now!"
Am E
Well, after all, I'm young and relatively vigorous,
E Am
And though I still protest my innocence,
Am E
By temperament I'm strictly un-polygamous,
E Am
And if I sinned, I sinned in self-defence.
Dm Am
Nevertheless I must confess I wouldn't miss that
E Am
sort of bliss And when it ended I was rendered comatose.
Dm Am
When, loud and clear, very near, in my ear a loud
E Am Am Am Am
voice spoke And I was awoken from my post-coital (3/4) doze.
A E E7 A
"Helen, go to bed!" Helen went away.
A7 D E A
"Now, young man," Julie said, "you will have to pay!
A E E7 A
"You've blighted Helen's charms, filched her purity.
A D E Am Am Am Am
"Open up your arms - come and filch (4/4) me!"
Am E
I was amazed, and really rather tired;
E Am
I thought I'd given all that I could give.
Am E
A little kip was all that I desired,
E Am
But I'm British, so my upper lip was stiff.
Dm Am
She was chaotic, idiotic, quite exotic and ecstatic,
E Am
Acrobatic and emphatically fine.
Dm Am
All to no good, for when I could open my eyes, to my
E Am Am Am Am
surprise I found her mother looking into (3/4) mine.
A E E7 A
"Julie, go to bed!" Julie left the scene.
A D E A
"Now listen, Ma," I said, "I know the old routine.
A D E A
"I'll do what you like, but I shall be vexed
A D E Am Am
"And I'll bloody well go on strike if Grandma's next!"
Listen to the recording on youtube, it's a nice simple tune
and fun to play for friends. This is my first attempt so any
comments or corrections welcome. Cheers, BigMick.
If you've not heard any of Jake's work then I strongly suggest you check him out
on Youtube and read his bio at www.jakethackray.com
A true wordsmith in idiosyncratic English humour.
The Lodger – Jake Thackray
Am E
My landlady had three lovely daughters.
E Am
They used to come and make my bed each day
Am E
They used to come and clean my living quarters,
E Am
But their mother made quite sure they didn't stay.
Dm
There was Mary: she seemed chary;
Am E
There was Helen: she seemed well and truly sceptical
Am
about my qualities;
Dm Am
There was Julie: she was truly well-proportioned, but her
E Am
caution brought exhaustion on my aching arteries.
Am E
But I was wrong: they weren't at all impervious
E Am
To the possibilities of high romance
Am E
And I sensed a certain girlish nerviness
E Am
In the way they folded my pyjama pants.
Dm
And I was right, for late one night
Am
Sweet little Mary, like a fairy,
E Am
As I lay sleeping, came a-creeping to my side.
Dm Am
She was mine: it was divine - but we were doomed, for very soon
E Am Am Am Am
Into the room came sister Helen, and she (3/4) cried:
A E E7 A
"Mary, go to bed!" Off Mary went.
A7 D E A
"Now, young man," Helen said, "for your punishment,
A E E7 A
"We mustn't have a fight, we mustn't make a row:
A D E Am Am Am Am
"Turn off the light - it's my turn (4/4) now!"
Am E
Well, after all, I'm young and relatively vigorous,
E Am
And though I still protest my innocence,
Am E
By temperament I'm strictly un-polygamous,
E Am
And if I sinned, I sinned in self-defence.
Dm Am
Nevertheless I must confess I wouldn't miss that
E Am
sort of bliss And when it ended I was rendered comatose.
Dm Am
When, loud and clear, very near, in my ear a loud
E Am Am Am Am
voice spoke And I was awoken from my post-coital (3/4) doze.
A E E7 A
"Helen, go to bed!" Helen went away.
A7 D E A
"Now, young man," Julie said, "you will have to pay!
A E E7 A
"You've blighted Helen's charms, filched her purity.
A D E Am Am Am Am
"Open up your arms - come and filch (4/4) me!"
Am E
I was amazed, and really rather tired;
E Am
I thought I'd given all that I could give.
Am E
A little kip was all that I desired,
E Am
But I'm British, so my upper lip was stiff.
Dm Am
She was chaotic, idiotic, quite exotic and ecstatic,
E Am
Acrobatic and emphatically fine.
Dm Am
All to no good, for when I could open my eyes, to my
E Am Am Am Am
surprise I found her mother looking into (3/4) mine.
A E E7 A
"Julie, go to bed!" Julie left the scene.
A D E A
"Now listen, Ma," I said, "I know the old routine.
A D E A
"I'll do what you like, but I shall be vexed
A D E Am Am
"And I'll bloody well go on strike if Grandma's next!"
Listen to the recording on youtube, it's a nice simple tune
and fun to play for friends. This is my first attempt so any
comments or corrections welcome. Cheers, BigMick.
