The Ballad Of Peter

~Subject: XTC - The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

Here it is, long awaited (?) and hopefully accurate.

Some notes:

(1) I figured this out without having the tape player going, so though the

chord pattern is accurate (pretty much all I-IV-V) I've put this in the key of

G, which may be different from that on the album. The important thing is that

_I_ can sing it in this key. So there.

Seriously, though, transposing this would not be a big deal.

(2) There is a surprise A chord (or II chord, made major) in the last

chorus. I really feel like there is another "surprise" chord in the rest of

the choruses, but I can't quite put a finger on it (ha, ha). The way I've

printed it here sounds pretty good, though.

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The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

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by Andy Partridge

Album: XTC "Nonsuch"

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Peter Pumpkinhead came to town

Spreading wisdom and cash around

Fed the starving and housed the poor

Showed the Vatican what gold's for

CHORUS: But he made too many enemies

Of the people who would keep us on our knees

Hooray for Peter Pumpkin,

Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin-

head?

Peter Pumpkinhead pulled them all

Emptied churches and shopping malls

When he spoke it would raise the roof

Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth

(CHORUS)

Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame

Governments who would slur his name

Plots and sex scandals failed outright

Peter merely said, "Any kind of love is all all right"

(CHORUS)

Peter Pumpkinhead was too good

Had him nailed to a chunk of wood

He died grinning on live TV

Hanging there he looked a lot like you, and an awful lot like me!

(CHORUS)But he made too many enemies

Of the people who would keep us on our knees

Hooray for Peter Pumpkin,

Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin-

head? Ah-ah-ah

Hooray for Peter Pumpkin

Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin

Hooray for Pe - ter - Pump - kin -

Head!

Oh my, oh my, don't it make you want to cry, oh!

(ending)