gilbert o'sullivan
I had one of these days you'd better stay in bed or return as soon as possible. The world had stopped spinning, the birds stopped singing, my early garden plants been spoiled by an unexpected return of King Winter, my cat had recently passed away and I felt surrounded by absolutely nothing but apathy. Nothing worked. Nothing rhymed ...
... a woodpecker started working on my skull, and words from the past came back to me.
In 1970, a young Irish lad entered the pop scene with a ridiculous appearance: flat cap, bowl cut and short trousers with suspenders made him look more a village tomfoolery than an entertainer. Treating the piano lake percussion and croaking his lyrics with a rather unpleasent voice, he made the charts with this song.
The lyrics came to him after for the first time watching TV reportages from the ongoing Biafra war. It ruined his day, but brought him to fame. I had simply forgotten him. Gilbert O'Sullivan is still active; now writing 2026. His looks changed during the seventies, but not his music.
And this song saved my day recently; thanks to the woodpecker. Maybe it will save yours, too ... some day nothing rhymes.
if I give up the seat I've been saving
to some elderly lady or man
am I being a good boy
am I your pride and joy
mother please if you're pleased say I am
and if while in the course of my duty
I perform an unfortunate take
would you punish me so
unbelievably so
never again will I make that mistake
this feeling inside me could never deny me
the right to be wrong if I choose
and this pleasure I get
from say winning a bet
is to lose
when I'm drinking my Bonaparte Shandy
eating more than enough apple pies
will I glance at my screen and see real human beings
starve to death
right in front of my eyes
nothing old : nothing new : nothing ventured
nothing gained : nothing stillborn or lost
nothing further than proof : nothing wilder than youth
nothing older than time : nothing sweeter than wine
nothing physically : recklessly : hopelessly blind
nothing I couldn't say
nothing why 'cause today
nothing rhymed
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Gilbert O'Sullivan is a piano player, and he is 90% autodidact. He had a few piano lessons in his youth, but felt uncomfortable with music theory and decided to lean on his own ears instead. His first steps in music business was mainly as a drummer, and he was supervised by Rick Davies, later founder of "Supertramp", in both piano and drums. His compositions are alternative, innovative and troublesome for guitar players. That's why the chords are derived and taken down to point zero and the interludes are left open : to assure you'll make it through while still survive.
... Bm F# if I give up the seat I've been saving Bm G to some elderly lady or man A am I being a good boy A7 D am I your pride and joy G C D mother please if you're pleased say I am ... Bm F# and if while in the course of my duty Bm G I perform an unfortunate take A would you punish me so A7 D unbelievably so G C D never again will I make that mistake ... Cadd9 Cmaj7 D7 D this feeling inside me could never deny me G D7 G the right to be wrong if I choose Gm and this pleasure I get D D7 C ...Cadd9...D from say winning a bet is to lose ... Bm F# when I'm drinking my Bonaparte Shandy Bm G eating more than enough apple pies A A7 D will I glance at my screen and see real human beings G Cadd9 D starve to death right in front of my eyes ... Bm F#7 nothing old nothing new nothing ventured Bm Bm7 G nothing gained nothing stillborn or lost A A7 D nothing further than proof nothing wilder than youth G A nothing older than time nothing sweeter than wine F# F#7 Bm Bm7 nothing physically recklessly hopelessly blind G nothing I couldn't say Em A7 nothing why 'cause today D nothing rhymed
For the repeat at the end; change "old" and "new" to "good" and "bad"
