Listen to the Mocking Bird
Septimus Winner Richard Milburn
Mandolin tablature by
Elizabeth T. Knuth, 2005
Key: G
E--||------------------|
A--||--4:--------------|
D--||--4:--0-----------|
G--||------------------|
|
|
I'm
Q E ____
|----------------------------------------/----\----|
|---------------------------------------/------\---|
|--0-----------------0-----4-----------2--------4--|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | |
| |_ | |_ |=
dream - ing now of
E ____
|--------------------------------r-------/----\----|
|--0-----------------------------e------/------\---|
|--------5-----------------------s-----2--------0--|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |=
Hal - ly, sweet
E ____
|--------------------------------r-------/----\----|
|--------------------------------e------/------\---|
|--0-----4-----------------------s-----2--------0--|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |=
Hal - ly, sweet
|--------------------------------r-----------------|
|--------------------------------e-----------------|
|--0-----5-----------------------s-----0-----------|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | |
|_ | | |_ |
Hal - ly, I'm
Q Q
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----------------0-----4-----------------4-----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | |
| |_ | |_
dream - ing now of
|--------------------------------r-----------------|
|--0-----------------------------e-----2-----2-----|
|--------5-----------------------s-----------------|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |_
Hal - ly, for the
|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------------------|
|--3-----------------------------5-----3-----0-----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
thought of her is one that ne - ver
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--------------------------e-----------------------|
|--5-----------------------s-----------0-----------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | |
| | | |
dies: She's
Q E ____
|----------------------------------------/----\----|
|---------------------------------------/------\---|
|--0-----------------0-----4-----------2--------4--|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | |
| |_ | |_ |=
sleep - ing in the
E ____
|--------------------------------r-------/----\----|
|--0-----------------------------e------/------\---|
|--------5-----------------------s-----2--------0--|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |=
val - ley, the
E ____
|--------------------------------r-------/----\----|
|--------------------------------e------/------\---|
|--0-----4-----------------------s-----2--------0--|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |=
val - ley, the
|--------------------------------r-----------------|
|--------------------------------e-----------------|
|--0-----5-----------------------s-----------0-----|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | |
|_ | | | |_
val - ley; She's
Q E ____
|----------------------------------------/----\----|
|---------------------------------------/------\---|
|--0-----------------0-----4-----------2--------4--|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | |
| |_ | |_ |=
sleep - ing in the
|--------------------------------r-----------------|
|--0-----------------------------e-----2-----2-----|
|--------5-----------------------s-----------------|
|--------------------------------t-----------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ | | |_ |_ |_
val - ley, And the
|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------------------|
|--3-----------------------------5-----5-----------|
|--------------------------------------------4-----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
mock - ing bird is sing - ing where she
H
|--------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
|--5-----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------|
| | |
| | |
lies.
Chorus:
|--------------|
|--2--2--2--2--|
|--------------|
|--------------|
| | | |
|= |= |= |=
Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----0-----0-----------e-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--------------------------s-----------------------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ | | |= |= |= |=
mock - ing bird, Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--0-----------------------e-----------------------|
|--------5-----5-----------s-----------5-----------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | |
|_ |_ | | |
mock - ing bird, The
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----3-----2-----0-----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
mock - ing bird still sing - ing o'er her
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----------------------e-----------2--2--2--2--|
|--------------------------s-----------------------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | |
| | | |= |= |= |=
grave; Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----0-----0-----------e-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--------------------------s-----------------------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ | | |= |= |= |=
mock - ing bird, Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--0-----------------------e-----------------------|
|--------5-----5-----------s-----------5-----------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | |
|_ |_ | | |
mock - ing bird, Still
|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------------------|
|--3-----------------------------5-----5-----------|
|--------------------------------------------4-----|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
sing - ing where the weep - ing wil - lows
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--------------------------e-----------2--2--2--2--|
|--5-----------------------s-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | |
| | | |= |= |= |=
wave. Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----0-----0-----------e-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--0-----------------------s-----------------------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ | | |= |= |= |=
mock - ing bird, Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--0-----------------------e-----------------------|
|--------5-----5-----------s-----------5-----------|
|--------------4-----------t-----------4-----------|
| | | | |
|_ |_ | | |
mock - ing bird, The
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----3-----2-----0-----|
|--0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
mock - ing bird still sing - ing o'er her
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----------------------e-----------2--2--2--2--|
|--------------------------s-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | |
| | | |= |= |= |=
grave; Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--2-----0-----0-----------e-----------0--0--0--0--|
|--0-----------------------s-----------------------|
|--------------------------t-----------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ | | |= |= |= |=
mock - ing bird, Lis-ten to the
|--------------------------r-----------------------|
|--0-----------------------e-----------------------|
|--------5-----5-----------s-----------5-----------|
|--------------4-----------t-----------------------|
| | | | |
|_ |_ | | |
mock - ing bird, Still
|--------0-----0-----0-----0-----------------------|
|--3-----------------------------5-----5-----------|
|--2-----------------------------4-----4-----4-----|
|--------------------------------------------5-----|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_ |_
sing - ing where the weep - ing wil - lows
|--------------------------r-----------||
|--------------------------e-----------||
|--5-----------------------s-----------||
|--4-----------------------t-----------||
| | |
| | |
wave.
2. Ah well I yet remember, remember, remember;
Ah well I yet remember,
When we gather'd in the cotton side by side;
'Twas in the mild September, September, September;
'Twas in the mild September,
And the mocking bird was singing far and wide.
Chorus
3. When the charms of spring awaken, awaken, awaken,
When the charms of spring awaken,
And the mocking bird is singing on the bough,
I feel like one forsaken, forsaken, forsaken.
I feel like one forsaken,
Since my Hally is no longer with me now.
Chorus
====================================================
== TABLATURE EXPLANATION ==
====================================================
_
---------- ---/-\---
-4:------- Time ------2-- Slur
-4:------- Signature --5------
---------- ---------
Rhythm:
H = dotted half
Q = dotted quarter
E = dotted eighth
The music is by Richard Milburn. The lyricist and arranger is Septimus Winner, using the pseudonym "Alice Hawthorne." Winner is also the author of "Whispering Hope" and "Raw Recruits." "Listen to the Mocking Bird" was published in 1855.
This song is not as intimidating to play as it may appear at first glance. The rhythm is tricky only in the verse. The sixteenth notes in the chorus are always a set of four on the same note, and after a rest.
If you like, you can hear a MIDI file of "Listen to the Mocking Bird."
Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page
Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu
Listen to the Mocking Bird / Revised 21 March 2005 / © Copyright 2005, Elizabeth T. Knuth / URL: http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/mandotab/listento.html