Song: The hole in the ground
Artist: Bernard Cribbins
Composers: Myles Rudge and Ted Dicks
Tabbed by: DJ
22nd April 2013
A 1962 novelty UK hit for comedy actor Bernard Cribbins,
and produced by George Martin (The Beatles producer).
Cribbins switches between a Cockney accent for the road
worker, and a middle-class accent for the gentleman in the
bowler hat.
CAPO: 2nd fret (Will then sound in the recorded key of E)
Chord names and fret positions are relative to the capo:
D = xx0232 Bm7 = x24232 F7 = 131211 C7 = x32310
A7+ = xx3223 E7 = 020130 F# = 244322 B7 = x21202
D6 = xx0202 A7 = x02020 F#m7 = 242222 G7 = 320001
F#7 = 242322 Em7 = 022030 D7 = xx0212
Em7 = 022030 G = 320033
^ = Emphasise the beat
Please select a star rating for this tab, many thanks
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[Intro]
D A7+ D A7+ A7+
||: / /__/ / / | / /__/ /__/ / :|| [x2]
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
[Verse 1]
D6 A7+ D6 A7+
There I was... a - digging this 'ole,
D F#7 Bm7 E7
'Ole in the ground, s' big, and sought of round, it was,
A7 Em7 A7 G D
And there was I, digging it deep,
C#7 F# F#
It was flat at the bottom, and the sides were steep!
^ ^ ^
[Verse 2]
F#m7 F#m7 E7
When, along... comes... this bloke in a bowler,
^ ^ ^
A7 D A7
Which he lifted, and scratched his head, woh,
^ ^
D6 A7+ D6 B7
He looked down the 'ole, poor demented soul, and he said...
Em7 A7
"Do you mind if I make a sug - gestion?
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|---0--------------|
E|--------3--2--0---|
[Verse 3]
D A7+ D A7+
Don't dig there! Dig it else - where!
D6 A7+ D D7
You're digging it round, and it ought to be square,
G F#7
The shape of it's wrong, it's much too long,
F7 E7 A7+ A7+ D A7+
And you can't put a hole where a hole don't be - long!"
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
[Link}
D A7+ A7+
I ask you! What a liberty, eh?
^ ^ ^
D A7+ D A7+ A7+
'Nearly bashed him right in the bowler! | / /__/ /__/ / |
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
[Verse 4]
D6 A7+ D6 A7+
Well, there was I... a - stood in m' hole,
D F#7 Bm7 E7
Shovelling earth, for all that I was worth, I was,
A7 Em7 A7 G D
And there was 'im, standing up there,
C#7 F# F#
So grand, and official, with his nose in the air!
^ ^ ^
[Verse 5]
F#m7 F#m7 E7
So I gave... 'im... a look, sort of side-ways,
^ ^ ^
A7 D A7
And I leaned on m' shovel, and sighed, woh,
^ ^
D6 A7+ D6 B7 Em7 A7
I lit me a fag, and 'aving took a drag, I replied----------
^ ^^ ^^ ^
e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|---0--------------|
E|--------3--2--0---|
[Verse 6]
D A7+ D A7+
"I just couldn't bare... to dig it else - where,
D6 A7+ D D7
I'm digging it round, 'cause I don't want it square,
G F#7
And if you disagree, it doesn't bother me,
F7 E7 A7+ A7+ D A7+
That's the place where the 'ole's gonna be!"
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
D A7+ A7+ D A7+ D A7+ A7+
| / /__/ /__/ / | / /__/ / / | / /__/ /__/ / |
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
[Coda]
D6 A7+ D6 A7+
Well, there we were, dis - cussing this 'ole,
D F#7 Bm7 E7
'Ole in the ground, s' big, and sought of round, it was,
A7 C7 B7
It's not there now, the ground's all flat,
Em7 Dm7 A7 D
And be - neath it is the bloke in the bowl - er hat,
^ ^ ^ ^
A7+ G/B D
And that's that!
^ ^