#----------------------------------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. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
#
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 14:42:55 -0500
From: Brian Peters
To: guitar@olga.net
Subject: TAB: j/jethro_tull/cross-eyed_mary.tab
Cross-Eyed Mary by Jethro Tull.
Writen By Ian Aderson. Found on the album Aqualung.
Transcribed by Brian Peters.
Cross-Eyed Mary
===============
Intro:
------
Nice Litte Flute Ditty. For Guitar It's something like this.
e|------------------------------
B|-3/20-17-16-15--3/20-17-16-15-
G|------------------------------
D|------------------------------
A|------------------------------
E|------------------------------
e|------------------------------------------
B|-3/20-17-17-17-16-15--15-15--15--15-15-15-
G|------------------------------------------
D|------------------------------------------
A|------------------------------------------
E|------------------------------------------
e|---------------------------------------
B|-3/20-17-17-17-16-16--16-16--16--16-16-
G|---------------------------------------
D|---------------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------
E|---------------------------------------
e|----------------------------
B|-18-19--19-19--19--19-19-18-
G|----------------------------
D|----------------------------
A|----------------------------
E|----------------------------
e|-------------------------------------------------
B|-17--17-17--17--17-17-19-20--20-20--20--20-20-20-
G|-------------------------------------------------
D|-------------------------------------------------
A|-------------------------------------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------
e|----------------------------
B|-19-18--18-18--18--18-18-18-
G|----------------------------
D|----------------------------
A|----------------------------
E|----------------------------
A E?
e|--------------------------------10h12p10h12p10h12p10h12p10h12-
B|-15h17p15h17p15h17p15h17p15h17p-------------------------------
G|--------------------------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------------------------------------------
A|--------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------------------------
Main Licks:
-----------
Lick 1:
D
e|-5-55---------------------
B|-7-77---------------------
G|-7-77---------------------
D|-7-77---------------------
A|-5-55-----------7---------
E|-X-XX-5-8-5-8-5---5-8-5---
Lick 2:
A G
e|---------------------
B|---------------------
G|---------------------
D|---------------------
A|-7---------7-------5-
E|-5-5-5-8-5---5-8-3-3-
Lick 3:
A# G#
e|---------------------
B|---------------------
G|---------------------
D|---------------------
A|-8---------8-------6-
E|-6-6-6-9-6---6-9-4-4-
Lick 4:
Em F G D
e|-0-------------1----------3-------------5-55--------------
B|-0-------------1----------3-------------7-77--------------
G|-0-------------3----------4-------------7-77--------------
D|-3-------------4----------5-------------7-77--------------
A|-3--------2----4-----1-3--5-3/2\3/2\3---5-55-------7------
E|-0--0-3-0---0--1-1-3------3-----------3-X-XX-5-8-5---5-8-5
Laughing in .......
Or maybe her.......
Verse 1:
--------
Em F
Who would be a poor man, a beggarman, a thief --
G [Lick 1]
if he had a rich man in his hand.
Em F
And who would steal the candy from a laughing baby's mouth
G [Lick 1]
if he could take it from the money man.
Bridge 1:
---------
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
Cross-eyed Mary, goes jumping in again.
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
She signs no contract, but she always plays the game.
[Lick 3] [Lick 3]
Dines in Hampstead village, on expense accounted gruel,
[Lick 3] C D B
and the jack-knife barber drops her off at school.
Verse 2:
--------
Em F
Laughing in the playground -- gets no kicks from little boys:
G [Lick 1]
would rather make it with a letching grey.
Em F
Or maybe her attention is drawn by Aqualung,
G [Lick 1]
who watches through the railings as they play.
Bridge 2:
---------
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
Cross-eyed Mary, finds it hard to get along.
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
She's a poor man's rich girl, and she'll do it for a song.
[Lick 3] [Lick 3]
She's a rich man stealer, but her favour's good and strong:
[Lick 3] C D B
She's the Robin Hood of Highgate -- helps the poor man get along.
SOLO:
-----
[Play Bridge Licks]
Hey
[Lick 2] [Lick 2] [Lick 2] [Lick 2]
[Lick 3] [Lick 3] [Lick 3]
{The Guitar Solo Is In A# Blues Scale}
{Here is the Starting, Sort Of}
e|------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------
G|-6b-----6-8b-6-8b-6---6---------------8p6-------
D|----8-6-----------------8-6-8-8p6---6-----8p6---
A|--------------------8-------------8-----------8-
E|------------------------------------------------
Verse 2/3:
----------
[Lick 4]
Laughing in the playground -- gets no kicks from little boys:
would rather make it with a letching grey.
[Lick 4]
Or maybe her attention is drawn by Aqualung,
who watches through the railings as they play.
Bridge 1/3:
-----------
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
Cross-eyed Mary, goes jumping in again.
[Lick 2] [Lick 2]
She signs no contract, but she always plays the game.
[Lick 3] [Lick 3]
Dines in Hampstead village, on expense accounted gruel,
[Lick 3] C D B
and the jack-knife barber drops her off at school.
Outro:
------
Em
Cross-eyed Mary
C
[flute thingie]
D
[guitar thingie G|-11b11b11b11b11b11b11b-| hit string hard]
Am Bbm Em
Bb C D Em
oh Mary ohhhh Cross-eyed Mary
------------------------------------------
Send Comments or Revision to:
Brian Peters
ak174@traverse.lib.mi.us
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
st3fan Average |
#1 by st3fan sanchez at Sep 26, 2007 at 9:16 PM EST |
| Intersting comments RayMan: Overtly, the song is about a child prositute; but it is also a cynical look at belief in/prayers to the Virgin Mary. The reference to the mother goose rhyme is the first line (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief), nicely ties it to the later song, Mother Goose. | |
|
No Picture
Jake "the insan Average |
#2 by Jake "the insane bassist" Martinez at Sep 27, 2007 at 1:35 AM EST |
| GAnthony has it about right; Mary is a 'child prostitute' (to quote Anderson), who is sensible with 'her favours' - a rich man would pay a lot, but a poor man less. No paedophile, though - I see Mary as technically underage, but not actually a child. | |
|
No Picture
Mr. Slave Wanna Be |
#3 by Mr. Slave at Sep 28, 2007 at 5:05 AM EST |
| OMG ....pardon the interuption of lack of analysis. This song is simply about a young lady borne of crossed-eyes of lowest income and self esteem. SHe gives sexual favor to pay her way in life...a sad but real fact when none of us would choice degrading sex over having wealth at our finger tips instead of Aqualungs "willy". She has many seedy friends who help her along a sad life path as she "helps' them get off as needed. Nothing more. Anderson made some of his living out of describing the seedy characters of the impoverished landscape to SHOCK us into buying vinyl. Nothing more. | |
|
No Picture
Chris Average |
#4 by Chris Tucker at Sep 28, 2007 at 6:30 AM EST |
| From the looks of it, yes, Mary is a child prostitute. But the last line suggests that she uses her wages to help the poor. "Robin Hood of Highgate helps the poor man get along." | |
|
No Picture
curt Average |
#5 by curt at Sep 28, 2007 at 2:10 PM EST |
| RayMan has it right. This is a great song on a great album. | |
|
No Picture
PsYcHe Wanna Be |
#6 by PsYcHe at Sep 30, 2007 at 3:09 PM EST |
| This song is talking about a little girl who is the play thing of an old lecherous pedophile. Would you like some candy little girl? | |
|
No Picture
its leeeeeeeeer Wanna Be |
#7 by its leeeeeeeeeroy jenkins at Oct 1, 2007 at 12:35 AM EST |
| wow thanks RayMan, I never looked at it like that before. I think you really have something there. I don't think she's much to do with Aqualung, apart from maybe identifying with him a little bit, as he's another casualty of society broken and unable to function in the manner expected. 1 | |
|
No Picture
Marco Average |
#8 by Marco at Oct 1, 2007 at 11:10 AM EST |
| Ministry is right. In fact, the song almost presents Mary as the predator rather than the prey. She may be young, but she's not innocent! | |
|
No Picture
Katie Wanna Be |
#9 by Katie Papeika at Oct 5, 2007 at 1:56 AM EST |
| ^^ Mary is a 'child prostitute' - Ian Anderson. This song, musically, is one of their best, not just on the album, but ever. The lyrics, which obviously hold little secrets, are bold and to the point, prompting me to say that you shouldnt read more into them than what is obviously there. Its meant as a statement, not a song to spend hours thinking about. | |
|
No Picture
Kevin Wanna Be |
#10 by Kevin Woolard at Oct 6, 2007 at 4:42 AM EST |
| Mary could be a prostitute, or she could simply be a young lady -- a TEEN, not a child, or a very young post-adolescent, like 20 through 22 -- who prefers wealthy older gentlemen as partners rather than "schoolboys" her own age | |
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