Humble Daisy

(Partridge)

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Nonsuch_V_Humble.jpg

“Humble Daisy” vignette from Nonsvch

 Recordings
Art
Lyrics
Chords and Tablature

Recordings

  1. Album version, 3'36.
    Released on Nonsvch.
    Andy Partridge - Lead & backing vocals, electric guitar & percussion
    Dave Gregory - Synthesizers, electric guitar & backing vocals
    Dave Mattacks - Drums
    Colin Moulding - Bass guitar & backing vocals

    Andy: “A paean to the person and the weed. There's a wonderful field where I walk my dog and overnight these big daisies came up. So the song's in praise of that glorious weed. As for some of the words, I have no idea what they mean - but they're pictorially gorgeous.”

  2. Demo version, 3'22.
    Recorded at home by Andy Partridge in early 1990.
    Released on 27 April 1992 on the Gribouillage CD-5.

    Andy: “Tramping everyday around ‘The Lawns’, a park in Swindon, my dog and I noticed continually how beautiful (and under-praised) the daisies were. We both ran home where he barked me the lyric of this ditty to petalled perfection. I'm joshing of course, he preferred the smell of other dogs arses to poetry*. Eight track cassette recording from early 1990.

    “*Hmmm, maybe he was on to something?”

Art

HumbleDaisy91.jpg

“Humble Daisy” live acoustic in the shed

Lyrics

Humble Daisy
Form a chain to hold all battleships in check
Humble Daisy
Knit a ladder down to nature's sunken wreck
Ragged rug unbound
Tangle trip the lovers
Royal barge aground
Brighter than all of the others on the window sill
I'll sing about you if nobody else will
Humble Daisy
Cast the milk and coins of morning's cash about
Humble Daisy
I fell down to heaven as you picked me out
We'll look up together
Browsing through some old sky
Sipping in the weather
You've got me dizzy, the fly that climbed the sugar hill
I'll lay upon you 'till somebody else will
Humble Daisy
We'll look up together

© 1992 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 21:35:21 -0700
From: Jeff Truzzi.
Subject: Humble Daisy transcription - intro revised

I revised the "Humble Daisy" chart to be more accurate, changing the intro and diagraming all of the shapes. Here's the entire transcription with the revisions:

HUMBLE DAISY by Andy Partridge
Copyright 1992 Virgin Music Ltd.
Transcribed for the XTC forum by Jeff Truzzi
________________
**********************
**********************
(Intro):
Em
0*2*2*0*0*0

Fmaj7(b5)/E
0*3*3*2*0*0

Em7
0*5*5*4*0*0

E7
0*2*2*1*3*0

*********************
Verse (play 2X):
Bb
X*1*3*3*3*1

Am7
X*0*2*2*1*3

Ebo (E-flat diminished) (or Ao, or Co, or Gbo)
X*X*1*2*1*2

G (classic Andy voicing)
3*2*0*0*3*3

G+ (G augmented) (or B+, or D#+)
3*2*1*0*0*X

C (though Andy plays a G on the low E string)
3*3*2*0*1*0

D7sus4
X*X*0*2*1*3

D7 (and repeat)
X*X*0*2*1*2

***********************
(Chorus):
E
0*2*2*1*0*0

Emaj7
O*2*2*4*4*0

Asus2
X*0*2*2*0*0

B13 (or Asus2(maj7)/B though Andy keeps the A bass in the guitar part)
X*0*2*2*0*4

E
0*2*2*1*0*0

Emaj7
O*2*2*4*4*0

G7sus4
3*5*3*5*3*3

A7sus4
5*7*5*7*5*5

repeat back to intro
*********************
TAG (repeat & fade):

Bb
6*8*8*7*6*6
or
X*1*3*3*3*1

Bbmaj7(b5)/E
0*7*8*7*5*5
or
0*X*2*3*3*0

-----
Jeff Truzzi

Date: Tue, 12 May 92 17:31:08 -0400
From: dschmidt (at) athena dot mit dot edu
Subject: Nonsvch chords, Vol I

Okay, first some disclaimers.  In many places I did not try to figure
out Exactly what was going on - I listened to the music and tried to
figure out what chords I would play if I were to accompanying on on
the piano.  So probably many of the guitar chords are simpler than
I've made them out to be.  Also, in some places where I've indicated
how to voice chords, it is just how I find it convenient, and not
necessarily what they are doing on the record.  I also left out lots
of bass stuff, only including it where I thought it was important.
But everything should be pretty close.  Comments and corrections are
welcome!

Voicings are notated with low E on the left, high E on the right.

                             HUMBLE DAISY

Intro: Em      Fmaj7b5  Em7      E7
Verse: Bb      Am7      F#dim7            |
       G       B7       C        Dsus4 D  | 2x
Chorus: E      Emaj7    Esus4    B13*
       E       Emaj7    G11**    Asus4**
       Em9     Fmaj7b5  Em7      E7
Verse
Chorus
Bb    Bbmaj7b5/E  repeat and fade

Fmaj7b5: xx3200
Dsus4:   xx0233
Bbmaj7b5:  xx8755.  very unsure about this...
* just playing a B7 or B9 sounds fine
** Actually, I just play 333533 and 555555 for these, and it sounds okay...

 - Dan



From: steve
Date: 3:38 am on Feb. 14, 2005
Subject: Humble Daisy

Q - Hey Andy, the last two chords of 'Humble Daisy' are B-flat and
 ... ? Jeff Truzzi

A - Jeff Mc Jeff O Rootie Vouto Reeni Mo. I can't remember, I'd
better dig the album out and play that track..... Well, since writing
that bit I've been to bed and woken up with more of a sense of
personal pride, namely, I shall try to remember without the disc. If
the first one is a B-flat then the next one, I think, is, with notes
in ascending order, dont play bottom E, A, F, B flat, E, A. That's
feels right, cheers Jeff. A.P

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