Chords with lyrics
Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)
Difficulty: Novice
Verse 1:
G7G7 C majorC
The sons of the prophet were brave men and bold
FF C majorC
And quite unaccustomed to fear,
G7G7 C majorC
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the Shah
G7G7 C majorC
Was Abdul, the Bulbul Amir.
Verse 2:
G7G7 C majorC
When they needed a man to encourage the van,
FF C majorC
Or to harass a foe from the rear,
G7G7 C majorC
Storm fort or redoubt, they had only to shout
G7G7 C majorC
For Abdul, the Bulbul Amir.
Verse 3:
G7G7 C majorC
This son of the desert in battle aroused,
FF C majorC
Could split twenty men on his spear.
G7G7 C majorC
A augmentedA terrible creature, sober or soused,
G7G7 C majorC
Was Abdul, the Bulbul Amir.
Verse 4:
G7G7 C majorC
Now the heroes were plenty and well known to fame
FF C majorC
Who fought in the ranks of the Czar;
G7G7 C majorC
But the bravest of these was a man by the name
G7G7 C majorC
Of Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 5:
G7G7 C majorC
He could imitate Irving, play poker and pool,
FF C majorC
And strum on the Spanish guitar;
G7G7 C majorC
In fact, quite the cream of the Muscovite team
G7G7 C majorC
Was Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 6:
G7G7 C majorC
The ladies all loved him, his rivals were few;
FF C majorC
He could drink them all under the bar.
G7G7 C majorC
As gallant or tank, there was no one to rank
G7G7 C majorC
With Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 7:
G7G7 C majorC
One day this bold Russian had shouldered his gun,
FF C majorC
And donned his most truculent sneer;
G7G7 C majorC
Downtown he did go, where he trod on the toe
G7G7 C majorC
Of Abdul, the Bulbul Amir.
Verse 8:
G7G7 C majorC
"Young man," said Bulbul, "has your life grown so dull
FF C majorC
That you're anxious to end your career ?
G7G7 C majorC
Vile infidel, know you have trod on the toe
G7G7 C majorC
Of Abdul, the Bulbul Amir."
Verse 9:
G7G7 C majorC
"So take your last look at sunshine and brook,
FF C majorC
And send your regrets to the Czar,
G7G7 C majorC
By which I imply, you are going to die,
G7G7 C majorC
Mr. Ivan Skavinsky Skivar."
Verse 10:
G7G7 C majorC
Said Ivan, "My friend, your remarks in the end
FF C majorC
Will avail you but little, I fear;
G7G7 C majorC
For you ne'er will survive to repeat them alive,
G7G7 C majorC
Mr. Abdul, the Bulbul Amir."
Verse 11:
G7G7 C majorC
Then that bold Mameluke drew his trusty skibouk,
FF C majorC
With a cry of "Allah Akbar."
G7G7 C majorC
And with murderous intent, he ferociously went
G7G7 C majorC
For Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 12:
G7G7 C majorC
They parried and thrust, they sidestepped and cussed,
FF C majorC
Of blood they spilled a great part;
G7G7 C majorC
The philologist blokes, who seldom crack jokes,
G7G7 C majorC
Say that hash was first made on that spot.
Verse 13:
G7G7 C majorC
They fought all that night, 'neath the pale yellow moon
FF C majorC
The din, it was heard from afar,
G7G7 C majorC
And huge multitudes came, so great was the fame,
G7G7 C majorC
Of Abdul and Ivan Skivar.
Verse 14:
G7G7 C majorC
As Abdul's long knife was extracting the life,
FF C majorC
In fact he had shouted "Huzzah"
G7G7 C majorC
He felt himself struck by that wily Calmuck
G7G7 C majorC
Count Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 15:
G7G7 C majorC
The sultan drove by in his red-breasted fly,
FF C majorC
Expecting the victor to cheer,
G7G7 C majorC
But he only drew nigh just to hear the last sigh
G7G7 C majorC
Of Abdul, the Bulbul Amir.
Verse 16:
G7G7 C majorC
Czar Petrovich, too, in his spectacles blue,
FF C majorC
Rode up in his new crested car;
G7G7 C majorC
He arrived just in time to exchange a last line
G7G7 C majorC
With Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.
Verse 17:
G7G7 C majorC
There's a tomb rises up where the Blue Danube rolls,
FF C majorC
And 'graved there in characters clear
G7G7 C majorC
Are, "Stranger, when passing, oh pray for the soul
G7G7 C majorC
Of Abdul, the Bulbul Amir."
Verse 18:
G7G7 C majorC
A augmentedA Muscovite maiden her lone vigil keeps
FF C majorC
'Neath the light of the pale polar star,
G7G7 C majorC
And the name that she murmurs so oft as she weeps,
G7G7 C majorC
Is Ivan Skavinsky Skivar.