The Borning Day

THE BORNING DAY Time: 4/4 Tenor: D(Bm) Bass: C(Am)

- West Indian, may be traditional

- Record: Harry Belafonte, Streets I Have Walked, Key: G

INTRO: 6m, 6m

6m * * 5

Mary and the Baby, .. hungry; yes we know what hungry be

6m 7m 6m 2 6m

.. So we bring them peas and rice, and a little ginger tea

1 5 1 6m

.. Only pigeon peas and rice, a little ginger tea

1 5 1 6m

.. Mary thank us with her eyes, she poor the same as we

1 2m 6m *

She poor the same as we

6m * * 5

Mary and the Baby, .. lonely; lonely is not good to be

6m 7m 6m 2 6m

So we sit a while, and chat a while, to keep them compa-ny

1 5 1 6m

Stay a while, make the baby smile, pass the time of day

1 5 1 6m

When we see how pleased they be, it make us glad we stay

1 2m 6m *

So glad that we could stay

6m * * 5

Mary and the Baby, .. weary; oh, we know what weary be

6m 7m 6m 2 6m

So we make a bed, and pillow for their head, with down from the maho tree

1 5 1 6m

Only down from the maho tree, to rest them soft and good

1 5 1 6m

We feel bad, these be all we had; we do the best we could

1 2m 6m *

We do the best we could

6m * * 5

Mary and the Babe rest .. easy; we go away and let them be

6m 7m 6m 2 6m

On hushed tiptoe, and voice kept low, we look up and see

1 5 1 6m

Star of hope shine in the sky, to mark the Baby's birth

1 5 1 6m

Seem to say, it's Borning Day, of better times on Earth

1 2m 6m *

Of better times on Earth

NOTES:

SYMBOLS:

- Asterisk (*) = new measure, play same chord

- Period (.) = 1/8 note rest at start of a measure

- Underline(_) = sustain note into next measure

CHORDS (Number System):

- Example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

- Key of C: C D E F G A B

- Detailed description: /pub/guitar/other_stuff/numbering_system.txt

- Submitted by: Barrie McCombs (bmccombs@acs.ucalgary.ca)