Billy Bragg - The Short Answer -------------------------------- From the album: Workers Playtime Posted by Matt Quinn on ultimateGuitar.com - all corrections & improvements welcome Capo on the second fret on the album version. C x32010 G/B x20010 Am x02210 G 320003 Em 022000 F 113211 F/E 013211 Dm xx0231 Bass runs in the verse: Run 1: Leading into the first C chord of each of the first two lines, run up from the G on the bottom string. Run 2: Leading into the first F chord of the third line, run up from the C on fifth string. Run 1 Run 2 E-|-3-------|---------| A-|---0-2-0-|-3-------| D-|---------|---0-2-0-| G-|---------|---------| B-|---------|---------| E-|---------|---------| In the long F bit (3rd and 4th line of the verse), you can play around with alternatively removing and replacing your finger on the 6th string - that is, alternating between F and F/E chords. He certainly seems to do that live; can't really tell on the album version.

Be-^Ctween Marx and ^G/Bmarzi-^Ampan in the ^Gdictiona-^Cry ^Gthere was ^CMary Be-^Ctween the ^G/Bdeep blue ^Amsea and the ^Gdevil,^C ^Gthat was ^Cme ^F If ever ^Ganyone could ^Fhelp me with my obsession with The young Susannah ^GYork it was Ma-a-^Cry^G/B ^Am ^G ^C ^G ^C

In my pink pyjamas, she asked me for something, I gave her the short answer She read our stars out loud, and I knew then that we should have gone sailing But we stayed home instead, fighting on the waterbed Like the honeymoon couple on drugs - me and Mary What happened in the past, remained a mystery of natural history She should have been the last, but she was just the latest If she wanted to be a farmer's wife, I would endure that muddy life I would dig for victory

And the s^Amound of happy couples Coupling ^Emhappily in the dark While ^Fyou and I sat ^Cdown to tea I ^Fremember you ^Csaid to me That ^Amno amount of poetry Would ^Emmend this broken heart But ^Dmyou can put the Hoover round If you ^Fwant to make a st-^Gart

chord riff, basically: [F-F G C-C C] x 4

listen to the record for the rhythm & variations

(verses again) All my friends from school introduce me to their spouses While I'm left standing here with my hands down the front of my trousers I just don't know what's to be done; I wonder sometimes how did Dad meet Mum? And how did they conceive of me? Tell me Mary

The boys who came to the shop always made her laugh much more than I did When I told her this must stop she didn't bat an eyelid She said you know honey it's such a shame you'll never be any good at this game You bruise too easily - so said Mary Her two brothers took me out of circulation for the duration So we went our separate ways but does she still love me? She still has my door key Like a bully boy in a Benetton shop, you're never happy with what you've got Till what you've got has gone - sorry Mary* Outro: Lyrics sung over the same chord riff as above: [F-F G C-C C]. *Riff starts on second syllable of 'Mary' in last verse and is played a couple of times before outro lyrics start. F - F G C-C C For the tall girl F - F G C-C C For the barefoot girl

For the ^Fgirl wi

th the ^Fsoap in her ^Gmouth and the ^Cstars

in ^Cher hai^Cr F - F G C-C C For the brown-eyed girl [repeat chord riff to fade]

Billy Bragg - The short answer