Andrew Lloyd Webber - Skimbleshanks The Railway Cat

song : skimbleshanks : the railway cat
artist : andrew lloyd webber

from the musical , cats

intro :

E C#m/E F#m7/E B/E
E C#m/E F#m7/E B/E

E C#m/E F#m7/E B/E
skimbleshanks the
E C#m/E F#m7/E B/E
railway cat ,
E B7/E F#m/E
the cat of the railway
E C#m/E F#m7/E B/E
train
E B/D# C#m E/B
there’s a whisper down the line at eleven thirty nine
A D/A A E
when the night mail’s ready to depart
F#m/E B7/E
saying , “skimble , where is skimble?
E+2 E/B
has he gone to hunt the thimble?
G#m A A/B E
we must find him or the train can’t start”

E B/D#
all the guards and all the porters
C#m E/B
and the station master’s daughters
A D/A A A/E E
would be searching high and low
F#m B7/E E+2/B E/B
saying “skimble where is skimble for unless he’s very nimble
G#m A A/B E
then the night mail just can’t go . ”

E G/E F#m/E
at eleven forty two with the signal overdue
E G/E F#m/E E
and the passengers all frantic to a man
A E/G# F#m11 E/G#
that’s when i would appear and i’d saunter to the rear
A E/G# F#m11
i’d been busy in the luggage van!

B7

E B/D# C#m E/B
then he gave one flash of his glass green eyes
A D/A A A/E E
and the signal went “all clear!”
F#m/E B7/E E+2/B E/B G#m A A/B
they’d be off at last for the northern part of the northern hemi

E C#m/E F#m7/E
{sphere
{skimbleshanks
B/E E C#m/E
the railway
F#m7/E B/E
cat
E B/E A/E E C#m/E F#m7/E
the cat of the railway train
B/E E B/D# C#m E/B
you could say that by and large it was me who was in charge
A D/A
of the sleeping car
A E F#m/E B7/E E+2/B E/B
express , from the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards
G#m A A/B E
i would supervise them all more or less

E B/D# C#m E/B
down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces
A D/A A A/E E
of the travellers in the first and the third
F#m/E B7/E E+2/B E/B
he establishes control by a regular patrol
G#m A A/B E
and he’d know at once if anything occurred

E G/E A7/E F#m/E
he would watch you without winking and he saw what you were thinking
r A7/E G/E F#m/E A7/E E
and it’s certain that he didn’t approve
A E/G# F#m E/G#
of hilarity and riot so the folk were very quiet
A E/G# F#m11
when skimble was about and on the move

B7

E B/D# C#m E/B
you could play no pranks with skimbleshanks!
A D/A A A/E E
he’s a cat that cannot be ignored
F#m/E B7/E E+2/B E/B
so nothing went wrong on the northern mail
G#m A A/B E6
when skimbleshanks was aboard

E6

E Bm7 E Bm7
it was very pleasant when they’d found their little den
E Bm7
with their name written up on the door .
woo! woo!

E Bm7
and the berth was very neat with a newly folded sheet
and not a speck of dust upon the floor

E Bm7
there was every sort of light
you could make it dark or bright
and a button you could turn to make a breeze
woo! woo!

E Bm7
and a funny little basin you’re supposed to wash your face in
and a crank to shut the window should you sneeze

A D G E
then the guard looked in politely and would ask you very brightly ,
A E
“do you like your morning tea weak or strong?”
A E/G# F#m7 E/G#
but i was just behind him and was ready to remind him
A E/G# F#m7 ( 2 bars )
for skimble won’t let anything go wrong

E B/D# C#m E/B A D/A A A/E E
when they crept into their cosy berths and pulled up the counterpane
A/B B7 Esus2/B E/B
they all could reflect that it was very nice
A/B B7 Esus2/B E/B
to know that they wouldn’t be bothered by mice
A/B B7 Esus2/B E
they could leave all that to the railway cat
G#m A A/B E
the cat of the railway train

F Dm/F Gm7/F
skimbleshanks
C/F F Dm/F
the railway
Gm7/F C/F
cat
F C7/F Gm/F
the cat of the railway
F Dm/F Gm7/F C/F
train
F C/E Dm F/C
in the watches of the night i was always fresh and bright
A# D#/A# A# F
every now and then i’d have a cup of tea
Gm/F C7/F F+2 F
with perhaps a drop of scotch while i was keeping on the watch
Am A# A#/C F
only stopping here and there to catch a flea

F C/E Dm F/C
they were fast asleep at crewe and so they never knew
A# D#/A# A# F
that i was walking up and down the station
Gm/F C7/F Fsus2 F
they were sleeping all the while i was busy at carlisle
Am A# A#/C F
where i met the station master with elation

F G#/F Gm7/F
they might see me at dumfries if i summoned the police
F G#/F Gm/F F
if there was anything they ought to know about
A# F/A Gm7 F/A
when they got to gallowgate there they did not have to wait
A# F/A Gm7/11
for skimbleshanks would help them to get out!

C7

C13 C7
and he
F C/E Dm F/C
gives you a wave of his long brown tail
A# F
which says “i’ll see you again!
Gm/F C7/F Fsus2 F
you’ll meet without fail on the midnight mail
Am7 A# A#/C F
the cat of the railway train!”

F C/E Dm F/C A#
F
Gm/F C7/F F

Am7 A# A#/C F ( 2 bars )
the cat of the railway train