Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)

(Partridge)

Black Sea

Recordings Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature

Recordings

1. Album version, 4'14.
   Released on Black Sea.
2. Live version.
   Recorded by the Manor Mobile on 12 October 1980 at the Lyceum, London, England.
   Engineered by Chris Jenkins.
   Mixed by XTC.
   Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K.
   Andy Partridge - Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals
   Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals
   Dave Gregory - Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
   Terry Chambers - Drums

   Andy: “By now, we're pummeling out the Black Sea numbers live, with worrying violence. The gig machine was at its Zenith of Crunch. Brutal seemed to be the password. My attempts to connect with the audience largely came out wrong, as in the pre-amble here. It sounds like the sort of thing my dad might say over an apocalyptic, bad tempered Sunday lunch.

   “This is the one live number that had the band wanting to pass out. Singing the continuous round at the end, ‘working for paper and for iron’, left everyone feeling sick and dizzy for lack of oxygen.”

3. 2017 stereo mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
4. 2017 5.1 mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
5. 2017 instrumental mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
6. Live studio demo.
   Phonogram Studio recording.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.

[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]

Art

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

Lyrics

Paper, iron, won't buy Eden
working for paper and for iron
work for the right to keep my tie on
working for paper and for iron
work for the unicorn and lion

I pray the kids aren't starving
no chicken for the Sunday carving
I'll stay for one more farthing

I take home my notes and coins every week
I'm told I'm worth much more
but the Church says turn the other cheek
the other cheek
paper, iron, won't buy Eden.

I know the family needs me
can't moan, the factory feeds me
won't bite the hand that bleeds me

I take home my notes and coins every week
I'll inherit the earth I'm told
but the Church says to remain this meek
remain this meek
I'm still a proud man.
Won't show anybody else my wage
a blend in the crowd man
is this anybody's golden age
is this anybody's golden age
is this anybody's golden age
or am I dreaming of a golden cage

La la lo it's paper
la la lo it's iron
la la lo just paper
la la lo just iron

© 1980 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:29:08 +0100
From: Florian Decros <flodecros (at) gmail dot com>
Subject: Bass tabs for Black Sea
Message-ID: <CAPtZtiMEot5AHL_+cxMcr+04FpjkfeJhrP8+8hK7B15ycOk_KA (at) mail dot gmail dot com>

Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:09:52 +0100
From: Jordi Ibáñez Llauradó <lohagoporelmessenger (at) hotmail dot com>
Subject: xtc songs
Message-ID: <BAY113-F11D978375E7EAC7A754B66DA390 (at) phx dot gbl>


OK, my first posting. please be gentle. i just want to say that
that's been done with no keyboard or organ at hand, so i can't
be more precise about the chords. that's why here you'll only
find the basic chords: it's up to you, people that can write,
read and dissect chords, to finish this work. so here it goes,
all the songs in the XTC catalogue that hadn't been tabbed in
this great site, from "black sea" to "nonsuch". you won't find
anything from "mummer" because the whole album has already been
"chorded" in this site.

don't expect any riffs or arpeggios, BTW. that's as far as my
skills go...

maybe i should be ashamed to post something like this (so
incomplete, wrong and childish) but it's just for the sake of
people who just want to strum XTC songs and sing and don't care
much if this is a sus4, added or other bollocks chord (and i must
point that i am one of those who really care, so i'm willing to
read all kinds of comments and corrections). please, john relph,
erase every transcription of mine as soon as a proper tab of each
song made by any other XTC fan who's more trained on guitar than me
comes to your mail.

songs like "the somnambulist" or "seagulls..." were meant to be
played on keyboards and sound terrible on guitar. beware!


PAPER AND IRON
verse: A-G-A-D
bridge: E-C
chorus: C7-G7-Bb-F-G#-Bb
middle 8: F#-Em-G-C then repeat G-C many times and then Bb
end on G (G7?)

--
hope that will be useful for somebody.
merry Xmas!
feedback welcome at jordiibanez (at) mixmail dot com
                 or lohagoporelmessenger (at) hotmail dot com

Go back to XTC Reel by Real.