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Creeque Alley

Mamas And The Papas

Text File

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE--------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the#
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
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                            "Creeque Alley"
                   (John Phillips / Michelle Gilliam)

[Note: acoustic 12-string is detuned 3 semitones and fingered in D]

Intro:

	(12-string [4X; drums and bass enter 4th time]):

	B7
	/ / / /  / / / /

Verse 1:

	 B7
	John and Mitchie were gettin' kind of itchy
	Just to leave the folk music behind
	E7
	Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
	 B7
	Tryin' to get a fish on the line
	      F#7
	In a coffee house Sebastian sat
	     E7
	And after every number they'd pass the hat
	    B7
	McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
	                               E7
	In L.A., you know where that's at
	                     D7               B7
	And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 2:

	Zally said "Denny, you know there aren't many
	Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south"
	Denny said "Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish
	I could play guitar like you"
	Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)
	And after every number they'd pass the hat
	McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher
	In L.A., you know where that's at
	And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 3:

	When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore
	But she changed her mind one day
	Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
	"Take me to New York right away"
	When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
	Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps
	McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
	But that's what they were aimin' at
	And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 4:

	Mugwumps, high jumps, slow slumps, big bumps
	Don't you work as hard as you play
	Make up, break up, everything is shake up
	Guess it had to be that way
	Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
	Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful
	McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire
	In L.A., you know where that's at
	And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Instrumental break:

	(flute solo over verse chords [might be edited on 45])

Verse 5:

	Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted
	And Mitchie wants to go to the sea
	Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it
	We knew she'd come eventually
	Greasin' on American Express cards
	Tent's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
	Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
	Can't go on indefinitely
	And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality

Coda:

	(flute solo):

	E7       D7        B7
	/ / / /  / / / /   / / / /  / / / /

	E7       D7        B7
	/ / / /  / / / /   /


-- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers