Flying Sorcery
A song that is great fun to sing. It comes from Year of the Cat
and for many years Al used it as the opening song of his solo
and duo sets. (These days he sometimes uses Antartica instead.)
Use these on the D and D/E in the intro and in the D, A and Am sequence
starting on the first and third lines of each verse.
A [0 7 7 6 0 0] D [x x 0 7 7 5]
Am [0 7 7 5 0 0] D/E [x x 0 7 7 0]
The "stop and stare leave the oil drums behind you" section was originally
tabbed as A Bm Bm(maj7) D D5, I can't find a way to play that as I like and
according to Jon we need a descending run of B, Bb, A, Ab so I use these
chords (but Bm and D alone will do)
Bm [0 9 9 7 0 0]
Bm/Bb [0 9 8 7 0 0]
D [0 0 7 7 7 5]
D/Ab [0 0 6 7 7 5]
Intro x2 (The D D/E here represents twiddling the 5th fret on the top E a few times)
D D/E G Em
D A
With your photographs of kitty-hawk and the bi-planes on your wall
Am G
You were always Amy Johnson from the time that you were small
D A
No school room kept you grounded while your thoughts could run away
Am G Em A
You were taking off in tiger moths your wings against the brush strokes of the day
D G Em A D
Are you there, on the tarmac with the winter In your hair,
G Em A Bm Bm/Bb
By the empty hanger doors you stop and stare
D D/Ab Em7 A7
Leave the oil drums behind you they won't care
D
Oh, are you there.
Between verse riff
Am F G D Am F G D Am F G
D A
Oh, you wrapped me up in a leather coat nd you took me for a ride
Am G
We were drifting with the tail-wind when the runway came in sight
D A
The clouds came up to gather us and the cockpit turned to white
Am G Em A
When I looked the sky was empty I suppose you never saw the landing-lights
D G Em A D
Are you there? In your jacket with the grease-stain and the tear
G Em A Bm Bm/Bb
Caught up in the slipstream of the dare
D D/Ab Em7 A7
The compass roads will guide you anywhere,
D
Oh, are you there?
Between verse riff
Am F G D Am F G D Am F G
D A
The sun comes up on Icarus as the night-birds sail away
Am G
and lights the maps and diagrams that Leonardo makes
D A
you can see Faith, Hope and Charity as they bank above the fields
Am G Em A
you can join the flying circus you can touch the morning air against your wheels
D G Em A D
Are you there? Do you have a thought for me that you can share?
G Em A Bm Bm/Bb
Oh I never thought you'd take me unawares
D D/Ab Em7 A
just call me if you ever need repairs
D Am F G D Am F G D Am F G D
Oh, are you there?
d\li300 Original transcription from http://www.things.org/music/al_stewart, site run by Muffy Barcocy.
d\li600