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Monkey Bear
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MONKEY & BEAR – JOANNA NEWSOM
This one takes a bit of practise.
If the chords don’t sound quite right, have a listen to the individual notes that Joanna
The Cm section is technically correct, it’s just a little difficult to explain. Don’t
the Cm as a barre chord, play it like this : x310xx so that the Eb (or the ‘1’) moves up
an E when you play the C chord. That entire chord section is used to illustrate that
which is awkward to transcribe to guitar. It works though, just give it a bit of work.
CAPO 5
( Am G F
down in the green hay
A G D)
where monkey and bear usually lay
they Amwoke from a Fstable-boy's Amcry
he said; sAmomeone Gcome Fquick!
the Ahorses got lGoose, got gDrass-sick!
they'll Amfounder! Ffain, they'll Amdie
Cmwhat is Cnow known Cadd9by the Esorrel Esus4and the Eroan?
Esus4 E Esus4 Eadd9 E
Eby the chestnut, and the bay, and the gelding grey?
it is: Amstay by the gGate you are Dgiven
and Cremain in your Gplace, for your Fseason
and had the oAmverfed Gdead but Clistened
to that Fhigh-fence, Ghorse-sense, Awisdom...
Am"did you hear tGhat, BFear?" said Dmonkey
we'll gGet out Dof here, fair and D/Asquare
they've lAmeft the Fgate open Amwide!
Amso;
my bDride
Amhere is my hand, where Dis your paw?
Amtry and understand my pDlan, Ursala
Ammy heart is a fDurnace
Amfull of love that's just, and Dearnest
now; yAmou know that we must uDnlearn this
Amallegiance to a life of Dservice
and no lAmonger answer to that hDeartless
hay-mAmonger, nor be his acDcomplice
(that Amcharlatan, with artless hDustling!)
but; UAmrsala, we've got to eat soDmething
and Amearn our keep, while Dstill within
the Amborders Dof the land that man has girded
(all Amdouble-bolted and Dtightfisted!)
Amuntil we reach the Dopen country
Ama-steeped in milk and Dhoney
Amwill you keDep your fancy clothes on, for me?
Amcan you beaDr a little longer to wear that leash?
Ammy love, I Dswear by the air I breathe:
Amsooner or lCater, you'll Fbare your tAmeeth
but for Amnow, just dance, Ddarling
Amc'mon, will you dance, my dEarling?
Amdarling, there's a Cplace for us
can we Fgo, before I Dturn to dust?
Amoh my dCarling, there's a Fplace for Amus
Amoh dDarling
Amc'mon wiEll you dance, my darling?
oh, thAme hills are groaning Cwith excess
like a Ftable ceaselessly bDeing set
Amoh my darCling, we will Fget there Amyet
Amthey trooped pGast the gFuards,
A G D(F, G)
past the coops, and the fields, and the farmyards
all Amnight, till fFinalAmly:
the Amspace they Ggained Fgrew
A G D(F, G)
much farther than the stone that bear threw
to Ammark where they'd Fstop for tAmea
but Cmwalk a Clittle fasCadd9ter
and Edon't Esus4look bEackEsus4wards
E Esus4 E Eadd9 E
yoEadd9ur feast is to the East, which lies a little past the
Epasture
when the bAmlackbirds hear tea wGhistling, they Frise and clap
and their aCpplause caws the Gkettle bFlack
and we Amcan't have Gnone of tChat!
move Amalong, Bear; thGere, there; Dthat�s that
(though Amcast in GplastFer
A G D(F, G)
our Ursala's heart beat faster
than Ammonkey's eFver wAmill)
Ambut sDtill;
Amthey haDve got to pay the bills
Amhadn't Dthey?
Amthat is what the Dmonkey'd say
Amso, with the cDourage of a cAmlown, or a cur
or a Dkite, jerking tight at its tAmether
in her Ddun-brown gown of Amfur
and her jerkin of Dswan's down and leAmather
Bear would Dsway on her hind lAmegs;
the organ would grind dreDgs of song, for the plAmeasure
of the Dchildren, who'd shriek
throwiAmng coins at her feet
then reDcoiling in tAmerror
sing, dance, Ddarling
Amc'mon, will you dance, mEy darling?
Amoh darling, there's a Cplace for us
can we Fgo, before I Dturn to dust?
Amoh my Cdarling, thereᦙF3;s a place Amfor us
Amoh dDarling
Amc'mon, will yEou dance, my darling?
you keep your Ameyes fixed on the highest Chill
where you'll Fever-after eDat your fill
Amoh my Cdarling, Fdear, miDne
if you dAmance
dance, Cdarling, and i Flove you sAmtill
Amdeep in the night
shone a weak and miserly light
where the monkey shouldered his lamp
someone had told him
the bear had been wandering
a fair piece away from where they were camped
someone had told him
the bear'd been sneaking away
to the seaside caverns, to bathe
and the thought troubled the monkey
for he was afraid of spelunking down in those caves
also afraid what the village people would say
if they saw the bear in that state;
lolling and splashing obscenely
well, it seemed irrational, really; washing that face
washing that matted and flea-bit pelt
in some sea-spit-shine, old kelp dripping with brine
but monkey just laughed, and he muttered;
when she comes back, Ursala will be bursting with pride
'til I jump up!
saying: you've been rolling in muck!
saying: you smell of garbage and grime!
but far out
far out
by now
by now
far out, by now, Bear ploughed
'cause she would not drown:
first the outside-legs of the bear
up and fell down, in the water, like knobby garters
then the outside-arms of the bear
fell off, as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes
low'red in a genteel curtsy
bear shed the mantle of her diluvian shoulders;
and, with a sigh, she allowed the burden of belly
to drop like an apronfull of boulders
if you could hold up her threadbare coat to the light
where it's worn translucent in places
you'd see spots where almost every night of the year
Bear had been mending suspending that baseness
now her coat drags through the water
bagging, with a life's-worth of hunger, limitless minnows
in the magnetic embrace
balletic and glacial of Bear's insatiable shadow
left there!
left there!
when Bear left Bear
left there!
left there!
when Bear stepped clear of Bear
Am, G, F, A, G, D(F,
Am, F, G
(Amsooner or lCater, you'll Fbare your teAmeth...)
All chords in this song (12)
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Monkey Bear
by Joanna Newsom
Chords in this song · guitar
Am
G
F
A
D
Cm
C
Cadd9
E
Esus4
Eadd9
D/A
MONKEY & BEAR – JOANNA NEWSOM
This one takes a bit of practise.
If the chords don’t sound quite right, have a listen to the individual notes that Joanna
The Cm section is technically correct, it’s just a little difficult to explain. Don’t
the Cm as a barre chord, play it like this : x310xx so that the Eb (or the ‘1’) moves up
an E when you play the C chord. That entire chord section is used to illustrate that
which is awkward to transcribe to guitar. It works though, just give it a bit of work.
CAPO 5
Am G F
(
down in the green hay
A G D
)
where monkey and bear usually lay
Am F Am
they woke from a stable-boy's cry
Am G F
he said; someone come quick!
A G D
the horses got loose, got grass-sick!
Am F Am
they'll founder! fain, they'll die
Cm C Cadd9 E Esus4 E
what is now known by the sorrel and the roan?
Esus4 E Esus4 Eadd9 E
E
by the chestnut, and the bay, and the gelding grey?
Am G D
it is: stay by the gate you are given
C G F
and remain in your place, for your season
Am G C
and had the overfed dead but listened
F G A
to that high-fence, horse-sense, wisdom...
Am G F D
"did you hear that, Bear?" said monkey
G D D/A
we'll get out of here, fair and square
Am F Am
they've left the gate open wide!
Am
so;
D
my bride
Am D
here is my hand, where is your paw?
Am D
try and understand my plan, Ursala
Am D
my heart is a furnace
Am D
full of love that's just, and earnest
Am D
now; you know that we must unlearn this
Am D
allegiance to a life of service
Am D
and no longer answer to that heartless
Am D
hay-monger, nor be his accomplice
Am D
(that charlatan, with artless hustling!)
Am D
but; Ursala, we've got to eat something
Am D
and earn our keep, while still within
Am D
the borders of the land that man has girded
Am D
(all double-bolted and tightfisted!)
Am D
until we reach the open country
Am D
a-steeped in milk and honey
Am D
will you keep your fancy clothes on, for me?
Am D
can you bear a little longer to wear that leash?
Am D
my love, I swear by the air I breathe:
Am C F Am
sooner or later, you'll bare your teeth
Am D
but for now, just dance, darling
Am E
c'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Am C
darling, there's a place for us
F D
can we go, before I turn to dust?
Am C F Am
oh my darling, there's a place for us
Am D
oh darling
Am E
c'mon will you dance, my darling?
Am C
oh, the hills are groaning with excess
F D
like a table ceaselessly being set
Am C F Am
oh my darling, we will get there yet
Am G F
they trooped past the guards,
A G D F G
(, )
past the coops, and the fields, and the farmyards
Am F Am
all night, till finally:
Am G F
the space they gained grew
A G D F G
(, )
much farther than the stone that bear threw
Am F Am
to mark where they'd stop for tea
Cm C Cadd9
but walk a little faster
E Esus4 E Esus4
and don't look backwards
E Esus4 E Eadd9 E
Eadd9
your feast is to the East, which lies a little past the
E
pasture
Am G F
when the blackbirds hear tea whistling, they rise and clap
C G F
and their applause caws the kettle black
Am G C
and we can't have none of that!
Am G D
move along, Bear; there, there; that�s that
Am G F
(though cast in plaster
A G D F G
(, )
our Ursala's heart beat faster
Am F Am
than monkey's ever will)
Am D
but still;
Am D
they have got to pay the bills
Am D
hadn't they?
Am D
that is what the monkey'd say
Am D Am
so, with the courage of a clown, or a cur
D Am
or a kite, jerking tight at its tether
D Am
in her dun-brown gown of fur
D Am
and her jerkin of swan's down and leather
D Am
Bear would sway on her hind legs;
D Am
the organ would grind dregs of song, for the pleasure
D
of the children, who'd shriek
Am
throwing coins at her feet
D Am
then recoiling in terror
D
sing, dance, darling
Am E
c'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Am C
oh darling, there's a place for us
F D
can we go, before I turn to dust?
Am C F Am
oh my darling, there�s a place for us
Am D
oh darling
Am E
c'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Am C
you keep your eyes fixed on the highest hill
F D
where you'll ever-after eat your fill
Am C F D
oh my darling, dear, mine
Am
if you dance
C F Am
dance, darling, and i love you still
Am
deep in the night
shone a weak and miserly light
where the monkey shouldered his lamp
someone had told him
the bear had been wandering
a fair piece away from where they were camped
someone had told him
the bear'd been sneaking away
to the seaside caverns, to bathe
and the thought troubled the monkey
for he was afraid of spelunking down in those caves
also afraid what the village people would say
if they saw the bear in that state;
lolling and splashing obscenely
well, it seemed irrational, really; washing that face
washing that matted and flea-bit pelt
in some sea-spit-shine, old kelp dripping with brine
but monkey just laughed, and he muttered;
when she comes back, Ursala will be bursting with pride
'til I jump up!
saying: you've been rolling in muck!
saying: you smell of garbage and grime!
but far out
far out
by now
by now
far out, by now, Bear ploughed
'cause she would not drown:
first the outside-legs of the bear
up and fell down, in the water, like knobby garters
then the outside-arms of the bear
fell off, as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes
low'red in a genteel curtsy
bear shed the mantle of her diluvian shoulders;
and, with a sigh, she allowed the burden of belly
to drop like an apronfull of boulders
if you could hold up her threadbare coat to the light
where it's worn translucent in places
you'd see spots where almost every night of the year
Bear had been mending suspending that baseness
now her coat drags through the water
bagging, with a life's-worth of hunger, limitless minnows
in the magnetic embrace
balletic and glacial of Bear's insatiable shadow
left there!
left there!
when Bear left Bear
left there!
left there!
when Bear stepped clear of Bear
Am G F A G D F
, , , , , (,
Am F G
, ,
Am C F Am
(sooner or later, you'll bare your teeth...)
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About Monkey Bear Chords by Joanna Newsom
Learn how to play Monkey Bear by Joanna Newsom with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Monkey Bear chords”, “Monkey Bear guitar chords”, or “Joanna Newsom Monkey Bear chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Monkey Bear chords and for experienced players who want accurate Monkey Bear lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Cm, Eb, E, C, Am, G.
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