This one is a lot of fun to play and fairly easy - no finger pickin' required, just strummin' & hammerin'. I think that there are several acoustic guitars in this one, along with a mandolin. I'm going to show you the chords with the bass notes and offer a couple of tips - you can take it from there. Be sure to visit my tab page in order to understand how I write tablature on the web.

Click here if you want only the lyrics.

THE CHORDS:
 
D  C  G   D  C  G
D  C  G   D  C  G
(ACOUSTIC GUITAR INTRO)
 
    D        C           G  
the dolphins live in the open sea
 
        D       C           G
and the gypsies live in the forest
 
          D            C             G
while the owls and the crows and the sure foot does
 
      D         C        G
still live like those be-fore us
 
D  C  G   D  C  G
D  C  G   D  C  G
(MANDOLIN DITTY)
 
 
        D           C            G 
and the oak and the pine and the sycamore shines
 
        D         C            G
and the day spins round like a feather
 
        D       C              G 
and the sawmill whines and the bluebird dines
 
        D         C      G     
and the song goes on for-ever
 
D  C  G   D  C  G
D  C  G   D  C  G
(HARP DITTY)
 
 
F      G
F      G
D  C   G    D  C   G
D  C   G    D  C   G
D  C   G    D  C   G
(OBOE SOLO)
 
 
        D        C          G 
now the old folk tell of an ancient bell
 
D         C           G
somewhere sunk in the meadow
 
        D        C              G
but the shepherd there with the snow white hair
 
     D            C       G   
just sings in the evening shadows
 
D  C  G   D  C  G
D  C  G   D  C  G
(yodel!)
 
    D      C               G 
and no one knows where the clear creek goes
 
         D                      G 
when the moonlight fades in the forest
 
        D       C               G   
but the peacock screams and the gypsy dreams
 
     D         C     G        
of a time gone by be-fore us
 
D  C  G   D  C  G
D  C  G   D  C  G
(yodel!)
 
F     G  
F     G
D  C  G
D  C  G
(OBOE SOLO)
 
 
D           C           G
round and a round and a round and a round
 
D           C           G
round and a round and a round
 
D           C           G
round and a round and a round and a round
 
D           C           G
round and a round and a round...
 

THE TAB:

D

1 -|| ---------------2----------------2
2 -|| -----------------------3--------3
3 -|| ---------------1----------------2
4 -|| -----0--------------------------0
5 -|| ---------------------------------
6 -|| ---------------------------------

C

1 -|| --------0-----------------------0
2 -|| --------1-----------------------1
3 -|| --------0-----------------------0
4 -|| ---------------2----------------2
5 -|| -----------------------3--------3
6 -|| ---------------------------------

G

1 -|| -----------------------3--------3
2 -|| --------0-----------------------0
3 -|| --------0-----------------------0
4 -|| --------0-----------------------0
5 -|| ---------------2----------------2
6 -|| -----------------------3--------3

F

1 -|| ---1----------------------------1
2 -|| ---1----------------------------1
3 -|| ---1-----2---------------------2
4 -|| ---1---------4-----------------3
5 -|| ---1---------3-----------------3
6 -|| ---1----------------------------1

(The bass notes are in bold for all the chords)

TIPS:

Most of the Song

Just about the whole song is pretty much played with a bass note on the down-beat and chord on the up-beat. I play a hammer on beat four. The G, C, D progression should be played like:

      D    C    G

1 -|| --------2------0-------3-------0-----
2 -|| --------3------1-------0-------0-----
3 -|| --------2------0-------0-------0-----
4 -|| -----0---------2-------0---0-2------
5 -|| ------------3----------2--------------
6 -|| --------------------3-----------------

On beat four, play all three notes quickly - you should end on the up-beat of beat four. It's easy if you hammer - pluck the string on the down beat then quickly press the second finger down, then up, then pluck the next open string. The idea is to pluck twice and play three notes.

In the acoustic guitar intro, you should hammer (2nd finger) on the C chord - just like you did the G chord above.

      D    C     G

1 -|| --------2-------0-----3-------3-----
2 -|| --------3-------1-----0-------0-----
3 -|| --------2-------0-----0-------0-----
4 -|| -----0------0-2------ 0---0-2-------
5 -|| ------------3---------2---------------
6 -|| --------------------3-----------------

Actually, you should play the whole song like this if you want - just keep that second finger moving.

Oboe Solos:

Play like the following - try and use the bass notes.

    F                 G

1 -|| ----1------1-----1-------1--------3------3-----3------3--
2 -|| ----1------1-----1-------1--------0------0-----0------0--
3 -|| ----2------2-----2-------2--------0------0-----0------0--
4 -|| ----3------3-----3-------3--------0------0-----0------0--
5 -|| ----3---3--------3----3----------2----2-------2----2-----
6 -|| --1------------1---------------3-------------3-------------