Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat
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A
D
A D A
Skimbleshanks,
the Railway Cat,
D A7 D - A
the
Cat of the Railway Train !
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1. There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty-nine
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when
the Night Mail's ready to depart,
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saying 'Skimble, where is Skimble, has he
gone to hunt the thimble ?
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We must find him or the train
can't start.'
D
A Bm D
2. All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters
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would
be searching high and low,
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Saying 'Skimble,
where is Skimble, for unless he's very nimble,
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G D
then
the Night Mail just can't go.'
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Em
At eleven forty-two with the
signal overdue,
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and
the passengers all frantic to a man,
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that's
when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear,
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I'd been busy in the luggage
van.
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A Bm D
3. Then he gave one flash of his glass green eyes,
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and
the signal went 'All Clear !'
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Bm
They'd be off at last for the
northern part
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D
of
the Northern Hemisphere.
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Skimbleshanks,
the Railway Cat,
D A7 D - A
the
Cat of the Railway Train !
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Bm D
4. You could say that by and large it was me who was in charge
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of
the Sleeping Car Express.
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Bm
From the driver and the guards
to the bagmen playing cards,
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I would supervise them all,
more or less.
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Bm D
5. Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces
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of
the travellers in the First and Third.
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D Bm
He establishes control by a
regular patrol,
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D
and
he'd know at once if anything occurred.
D
He would watch you without
winking,
F Em
and
he knows what you were thinking,
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and
it's certain that he didn't approve
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of
hilarity and riot, so the folks were very quiet,
G Em - A7
when Skimble was about and on the move.
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6. You could play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!
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he's
a cat that cannot be ignored.
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Bm
So nothing went wrong on the
Northern Mail,
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G D
when Skimbleshanks was aboard.
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It was very pleasant when
they'd found their little den
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with
their name written up on the door.
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And the berth was very neat
with a newly folded sheet
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and
not a speck of dust on the floor.
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There was every sort of light, you could make it dark or bright,
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and a
button that you turn to make a breeze.
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And a funny little basin
you're supposed to wash your face in,
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and a
crank to shut the window should you sneeze.
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Then the guard looked in
politely and would ask you very brightly,
G
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
'Do you like your morning tea
weak or strong ?'
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But I was just behind him and
was ready to remind him,
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for Skimble won't let anything go wrong.
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Bm D
7. When they crept into their cosy berth
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and
pulled up the counter-pane,
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they
ought to reflect that it's very nice
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Bm
to
know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice.
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D Bm
They could leave all that to
the Railway Cat,
F#m G
D
the
Cat of the Railway Train !
(orig. moves up half a note
to capo 3rd here)
D A D A
Skimbleshanks,
the Railway Cat,
D A7 D - A
the
Cat of the Railway Train !
D A
Bm D
8. In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright,
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every
now and then I'd have a cup of tea.
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With perhaps a drop of Scotch
while I was keeping on the watch,
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D
only
stopping here and there to catch a flea.
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9. They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew
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that
I was walking up and down the station.
Em A7
D Bm
They were sleeping all the
while I was busy at Carlisle,
F#m G
D
where
I met the station master with elation.
D F Em
They might see me at Dumfries,
if I summoned the police,
D F Em - D
there
was anything they ought to know about.
G Em G D
When they got to Gallowgate there they did not have to wait,
G D Em - A7
for Skimbleshanks would help them to get out !
D A
Bm D
10. And he gave you a wave of his long brown tail,
G D
which
says: 'I'll see you again !
Em
A7 D Bm
You'll meet without fail on
the Midnight Mail
F#m G
D
the
Cat of the Railway Train.'
+ instrumental = verse 10
(orig. = capo 2nd) (Andrew
Lloyd Webber)