Key: G major
Intro 1
Ab
Ab
Ab
I was riding on the mayflower
when I thought I spied some land
Ab
Verse 1
Ab
I was riding on the mayflower
when I thought I spied some land
I yelled for Captain Arab,
I have you understand
Db
Who came running to the deck
said, "Boys, forget the whale
Ab
Look on over yonder, cut the engines,
change the sail
Eb
Haul on the bowline", we sang that melody
Ab
Like all tough sailors do
when they're far away at sea
Ab
Ab
Verse 2
Ab
"I think I'll call it America,"
I said said as we hit land
I took a deep breath,
I fell down, I could not stand
Db
Cap tain Arab he started
writing up some deeds
Ab
He said, "Let's set up a fort
and start buyin' a place with beads"
Eb
Just then this cop comes down the street,
crazy as a loon
Ab
He throws us all in jail for carrying harpoons
Ab
Ab
Verse 3
Ab
Ah, me I busted out, don't even ask me how
I went to get some help,
I walked by a Guernsey cow
Db
Who directed me down to the Bowery slums
Ab
Where people carried signs around
sayin', "Ban the bums"
Eb
I jumped right into line sayin'
"I hope that I'm not late"
Ab
When I realized I hadn't eaten
for five days straight
Ab
Ab
Verse 4
Ab
I went into a restaurant looking for the cook
I told him I was the editor
of a famous etiquette book
Db
The waitress he was handsome,
he wore a powder blue cape
Ab
I ordered some Suzette,
I said "could you please make that Crepe?"
Eb
Just then the whole kitchen
exploded from boilin' fat
Ab
Food was flyin' everywhere,
I left without my hat
Ab
Ab
Verse 5
Ab
Now, I didn't mean to be nosy
but I went into a bank
To get some bail for Arab
and all the boys back in the tank
Db
They asked me for some collateral
and I pulled down my pants
Ab
They threw me in the alley
when up comes this girl from France
Eb
Who invited me to her house,
I went but she had a friend
Ab
Who knocked me out and robbed my boots
and I was on the street again
Ab
Ab
Verse 6
Ab
Well, I rapped upon a house
with the U.S. flag upon display
I said, "Could you help me out,
I got some friends down the way"
Db
"The man says, "Get out of here,
I'll tear you limb from limb"
Ab
I said, "You know they refused Jesus, too",
he said, "You're not Him
Eb
Get out of here before I break your bones,
I ain't your pop"
Ab
I decided to have him arrested
Interlude 1
and I went lookin' for a cop
Ab
Ab
Ab
Ab
Verse 7
Ab
I ran right outside, I hopped inside a cab
I went out the other door,
this Englishman said, "Fab"
Db
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand
and a chariot that stood
Ab
Parked across
from a building advertising brotherhood
Eb
I ran right through the front door
like a hobo sailor does
Ab
But it was just a funeral parlor
and the man asked me who I was
Ab
Ab
Verse 8
Ab
I repeated that my friends
were all in jail with a sigh
He gave me his card,
he said, "Call me if they die"
Db
I shook his hand and said goodbye,
ran out to the street
Ab
When a bowling ball came down the road
and knocked me off my feet
Eb
A pay phone was ringing
and it just about blew my mind
Ab
When I picked it up and said hello,
this foot came through the line
Ab
Ab
Ab
Verse 9
Ab
Well, by this time I's fed up
at tryin' to make a stab
At bringing back any help
for my friends and Captain Arab
Db
I decided to flip a coin
like either heads or tails
Ab
Would let me know if
I should go back to ship or back to jail
Eb
So I hocked my sailor suit
and I got a coin to flip
Ab
It came up tails, it rhymed with sails,
so I made it back to the ship
Ab
Ab
Verse 10
Ab
Well, I got back and took the parking ticket
off the mast
I was ripping it to shreds
when this coastguard boat went past
Db
They asked me my name
and I said, "Captain Kidd"
Ab
They believed me but they wanted to know
what exactly that I did
Eb
I said for the Pope of Eruke I was employed
Ab
They let me go right away,
they were very paranoid
Ab
Ab
Ab
Verse 11
Ab
Well, the last I heard of Arab,
he was stuck on a whale
That was married
to the deputy sheriff of the jail
Db
But the funniest thing was
when I was leavin' the bay
Ab
I saw three ships sailin' there,
were all heading my way
Eb
I asked the captain what his name was
and how come he didn't drive a truck
Ab
He said his name was Columbus,
I just said, "Good luck"
Ab
Ab
Ab
[Fade Out]
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsAb Db Eb
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