Skimbleshank's The Railway Cat Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[D]Ski[A]mbl[D]eshanks the Railway cat,
the cat of the railway train
There's a whisper down the [A]line
at el[Bm]even thirty - nine
[D]When [G]the night mail's
ready to de[D]part
[G]Saying, "Skimble, where [D]is Skimble has
he [A]gone to hunt [D]the thimble
[A]We must find him or [G]the train can't [D]start"
All the guards and all [A]the porters and
the sta[Bm]tionmaster's daughters
[D]Would [G]be searching high and [D]low
Saying "Skimble where is Skimble for
un[A]less he's very [D]nimble
[A]Then the night mail [G]just can't [D]go."
At eleven forty-two with
with the signal overdue
And the passengers all frantic to a man
That's [G]when I would ap[D]pear
and [Em]I'd saunter to [D]the rear
I'd been [G]busy in the lug[D]gage [Em]van![A]
Then he [D]gave one [A]flash of
[Bm]his glass - green [A]eyes
[D]And [G]the signal went "all [D]clear"
They'd be off [G]at [D]last to [A]the northern part of
[F#m]the northern [G]hemi[D]sphere!

[Verse 2]
[D]Skimbleshanks the Railway cat,
the cat of the rail[G]way [D]train
You might say that by and [A]large
it was [Bm]me who was in c[D]harge
Of [G]the Sleeping Car Ex[D]press
From the driver and guards to the
bag[A]men playing [D]cards
[A]I would super[F#m]vise them
[G]all more [D]or less
Down the corridor he [A]paces
and ex[Bm]amines all the faces
[D]Of the trav[G]ellers in the first and [D]the third
He estab[G]lished con[D]trol
by a [A]regular patrol
And he'd [F#m]know at once
if [G]anything oc[D]cured.
He would you watch you without winking
and he saw what you were thinking
And it's certain that he didn't approve
Of [G]hilarity and [D]riot so that
[Em]folk were very [D]quiet
[G]When Skimble was about
and [D]on the [Em]move[A]
You could [D]play no [A]pranks with
[Bm]Skim[D]bleshanks
He's a [G]cat that couldn't [D]be ignored
So nothing [G]went [D]wrong on
the [A]Northern [D]Mail
[G]When [F#m]Skimbl[G]eshanks was aboard
[D]

[Verse 3]
[D]It was very pleasant [A]when
[D]they'd found their little den
[A]With [D]their name written [A]up on the [D]door
And the berth was very neat
with a newly folded sheet
[Am]And not [D]a speck of dust on the floor
There was [G]every sort of light,
[A]you could [D]make it dark and bright
[A]And a but[D]ton you cou[A]ld
turn to make [D]a breeze
[A]And [D]a funny little basin [A]you're sup
[D]posed to wash your face in
And a crank to shut the window
should you sneeze
Then [G]the guard looked in po[C]litely [Cm]and
would [D]ask you very brightly
Do you [G]like your morning
[D]tea weak or strong
But [G]I was just beh[D]ind him and
was [Em]ready to remind [D]him
[G]For Skimble won't [D]let any
thing [Em]go w[A]rong
When the [D]crept in[A]to their [Bm]cozy [A]berth
[D]and [G]pulled the counter[D]pane
They [A]all could reflect that it was very [D]nice
[A]To know that they wouldn't
be bothered by mice
They can leave all that to the railway [D]cat
[A]The cat[F#m] of the railw[G]ay train[D]
[Eb]Skimbleshank

[Verse 4]
[Ebsus4]s the rail[Eb]way c[Ebsus4]at,[Eb]
[Ebsus4]the cat of the[Eb] railway train
[Ab]In t[Eb]he watches of th[Bb]e night I was
[Cm]always fresh and bright
[Eb]Every [Ab]now and then I'd have a cup [Eb]of tea
With perhaps [Ebsus4]a drop of s[Eb]cotch while
I was keeping up the watch
Only [Gm]stopping here and
[Ab]there to catch [Eb]a flea
They were fast asleep [Bb]at Crew
and [Cm]so they never knew
That [Eb]I was [Ab]walking up
and down [Eb]the station
They were sleeping all the while
I was busy at Carlisle
Where I met the sta[Gm]tionmas
[Ab]ter with ela[Eb]tion

[Verse 5]
They might [Eb]see me at Dumfries
if I summoned the police
If [Ebsus4]there was anyth[Eb]ing they ought
to know [Ab]about[Ebsus4][Eb]
When they [Ab]got [Eb]to Gallowgat there
they [Fm]did not have to w[Eb]ait
[Ab]For Skimbleshanks will h[Eb]elp
them to [Fm]get[Bb][Bb]
out
And he [Eb]gives you [Bb]a wave of
his [Cm]long brown tail
[Eb]Which [Ab]says "I'll see you [Eb]again"
You'll [Ab]meet without fail
[Eb]on the Midnight Mail
The [Gm]cat of the r[Ab]ailway t[Eb]rain
[Bb][Cm][Eb][Ab]

[Verse 6]
[Ab][Eb]
You'll [Ab]meet [Eb]with outfail on
the Midnight Mail
The [Gm]cat of the r[Ab]ailway t[Eb]rail