this is a traditional carol that exists in similar forms under the names green grow the
rushes , o ,
the carol of the twelve numbers , the dilly carol ( or the dilly song ) , or the teaching song .
it is cumulative , each verse adding one item to all the previous versions . similarly ,
the musical
structure , based in F , builds each verse on the dominant C with accented notes that
begin with G
and work down the scale such that “two of them were lily white babes . . . ” always ends
with C . the
third repetition starts the chorus with C/F and walks back to C . further verses start
the chorus with
C/G and work down the scale accenting different notes with each line ( C/G , C/F , C/E ,
C/D , etc . ) .
this may not follow exactly with the album version , but it’s close and sounds good when
played along with the recording .
in the great big sea version , beginning with the seventh verse and going through the end
there is an
extra two beats of F before each repeat ( four beats for the last repeat ) .
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
come and i will sing you ( the twelve apostles )
great big sea
from the album the hard and the easy
tabbed by steve sisk ( siskny )
2/2 time
F
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you one – o . ( what will the one be? )
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you two – o . ( what will the two be? )
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you three – o . ( what will the three be? )
C/F
three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you four – o . ( what will the four be? )
C/G C/F
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you five – o . ( what will the five be? )
C/G
five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/F C/E
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C/D C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you six – o . ( what will the six be? )
C/G C/F
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/E C/D
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you seven – o . ( what will the seven be? )
C/G
seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/F C/E
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/D C
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you eight – o . ( what will the eight be? )
C/G C/F
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/E C/D
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C C/A#
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you nine – o . ( what will the nine be? )
C/G
nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/F C/E
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/D C
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/A# C/B
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you ten – o . ( what will the ten be? )
C/G C/F
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/E C/D
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C C/A#
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/B C/G
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you eleven – o . ( what will the eleven be? )
C/G
eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven ,
C/F C/E
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/D C
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/A# C/B
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/G C/F
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 4 beats of F )
F
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you twelve – o . ( what will the twelve be? )
C/G C/F
twelve , twelve apostles , eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven ,
C/E C/D
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C C/A#
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/B C/G
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/F C/E
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C/D C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so
this is a traditional carol that exists in similar forms under the names green grow the
rushes , o ,
the carol of the twelve numbers , the dilly carol ( or the dilly song ) , or the teaching song .
it is cumulative , each verse adding one item to all the previous versions . similarly ,
the musical
structure , based in F , builds each verse on the dominant C with accented notes that
begin with G
and work down the scale such that “two of them were lily white babes . . . ” always ends
with C . the
third repetition starts the chorus with C/F and walks back to C . further verses start
the chorus with
C/G and work down the scale accenting different notes with each line ( C/G , C/F , C/E ,
C/D , etc . ) .
this may not follow exactly with the album version , but it’s close and sounds good when
played along with the recording .
in the great big sea version , beginning with the seventh verse and going through the end
there is an
extra two beats of F before each repeat ( four beats for the last repeat ) .
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
come and i will sing you ( the twelve apostles )
great big sea
from the album the hard and the easy
tabbed by steve sisk ( siskny )
2/2 time
F
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you one – o . ( what will the one be? )
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you two – o . ( what will the two be? )
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you three – o . ( what will the three be? )
C/F
three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you four – o . ( what will the four be? )
C/G C/F
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you five – o . ( what will the five be? )
C/G
five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/F C/E
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C/D C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you six – o . ( what will the six be? )
C/G C/F
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/E C/D
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you seven – o . ( what will the seven be? )
C/G
seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/F C/E
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/D C
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you eight – o . ( what will the eight be? )
C/G C/F
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/E C/D
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C C/A#
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you nine – o . ( what will the nine be? )
C/G
nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/F C/E
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/D C
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/A# C/B
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you ten – o . ( what will the ten be? )
C/G C/F
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/E C/D
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C C/A#
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/B C/G
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 2 beats of F )
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you eleven – o . ( what will the eleven be? )
C/G
eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven ,
C/F C/E
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C/D C
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/A# C/B
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/G C/F
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so .
( 4 beats of F )
F
and come and i will sing you . ( what will you sing me? )
i will sing you twelve – o . ( what will the twelve be? )
C/G C/F
twelve , twelve apostles , eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven ,
C/E C/D
ten the ten commandments , nine the bright eyed shiners ,
C C/A#
eight gabriel angels , seven , seven stars under the sky ,
C/B C/G
six , the six pallbearers , five ferrymen under the bush ,
C/F C/E
four gospel preachers , three of them were drivers ,
C/D C
two of them were lily white babes , cloth – ed all in green – o ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so ,
F A# C F
one the one that’s all alone and ever more shall be so
Leave the comments