Here's how to play the main riff chords in the song. The chords are shown in the inversion that you should use, top note on top and bottom note on bottom: FFDFBC77Maj7/Db --- --- --- ---- --- --- --- --- --- AAAAABb FFFFFG CCDEDE# E-------------------------------------------------------------| B---------------------------(3)--------(3)--------------------| G---2-----2------2----2------2----------2----------0----3---3-| D---3-----3------3----3------3----------3----------2----5---5-| A---3-----4------5----6------5----------4----------3----5---7-| E-------------------------------------------------------------| (Notice that in the BbMaj7 and BbmMaj7/Db, the Bb is implied. When Mike comes in on the bass, the bass plays the Bb, but the organ doesn't. Likewise, the A isn't stated in the Am7 until Mike plays it on the bass.) There are other chords in the song, but the fingering on them isn't as important as for these, so you can use whatever is comfortable. Most of the song, especially at the start, has an "oom-pah-pah" feel (which kind of makes sense, since the song is in 3/4.) To play the chords correctly, play the bass note, then the othertwo notes twice. For example, the intro starts like this: FFDF+/C# ----- ------ ----- ------ AAAAAAAA FF FF FF FF C C# D C# .... Find a good Hammond patch to play it with and your all set... "Circus theme" Intro: FEEEEDCCBC Intro: FFDFFFDF+/C# F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb It was late one fall night at a fairground near town BbMaj7/D BbmMaj7/DbF/A When Esther first saw the Armenian man Am7 Dm Who grovelled toward her and stood by her side Gm7 C7 With a bucket that swung in his hand (Bass joins in here) F/C F+/C# Dm F7/Eb His grin stretched the folds of his pasty white cheeks BbMaj7 BbmMaj7 F/A And his lips hurled a dollop of murk on the curb Am7 Dm And the lights from the rides showed a mischievous sparkle Gm7 C7 That flashed in his hollow eyed stare (same) He said "Little girl, you can chop off my legs And then peel off my socks if you want to. But I'd rather you took this old puppet from me That I hold in my pail as we speak." (same except transition chords at end of verse) And he stood looking down at the innocent girl And she stared at the bucket bewildered Til he lifted the doll for the young girl to see Gm7b5/Db Eb <--transition chords And a giant smile grew on his face Ab Adim Bbm Eb She saw the doll's eyes and she couldn't resist Ddim Db Bbm Eb And she thanked the man quickly and ran to the church Ab Adim Bbm Eb And she burst through the door with puppet held high Ddim Db Bbm And a hush filled the chapel, and the people looked mean CCCCCCCCCC AAAAAAAAAAb FEEEFEb E-----------------------------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------------------------| G---5--5-----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5----5--5-| D---6--6-----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6----6--6-| A-8-------7--------6------7-------8-------7--------6------7-------| E-----------------------------------------------------------------| BBBBBBBBBBBBC# GGGGGGGGGGGGA EEDEEED E-----------------------------------------------------------------| B-----------------------------------------------------------------| G----4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---4-4---6-6----------------| D----5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---7-7----------------| A-7------6-----5-----6----7------6-----5-----7--------------------| E-----------------------------------------------------------------| D A/C# C G/B Esther tried in vain to pacify the mob Bb D/A E7/G# Gm Quibble grew to spat, to wrangle, then to brawl D/F# G E7/G# A The frenzied congregation struggled desperately to fetch A7 A6 A Dm7 The pretty puppet snugly nestled deep in Esther's leather sack (Dm7 arpegiation on guitar/piano:) FDFACFACDACDFCDFAD E----------------------------------5-----5-8---5-8-10--| B--------------------------6-----6-----6-----6---------| G----------5-----5-7---5-7---5-7-----7-----------------| D--------7-----7-----7---------------------------------| A--8-5-8-----8-----------------------------------------| E------------------------------------------------------| (same chords as earlier verses) Through the window of the church a storm began to rage And Esther knew the time had come to flee She scurried down the aisle toward the doorway in the distance And out into the rainstorm where she felt she would be free But the wind was blowing harder And her skirt began to billow Until finally her feet began to lift And she rose above the people and the houses and the chimneys Gm7b5/DEb And Esther and the doll were set adrift Ab Adim Bbm Eb Ddim Db Floating higher over the hills, and the valleys and treetops Bbm Eb they'd flutter and glide Ab Adim Bbm Eb Soaring and turning suspended on air Ddim Db Bbm With the earth far below them they'd tumble Eb E And dive through the clouds "Flying jam" chord progression: E->Em->F#m7->F#->B 16th notes eighth notes |----------------------------------------|--------------8--9--10----------| |-------------------7-8-9-10-11-10-9-8-7-|----------10--------------------| |----------7-8-9-10----------------------|--10--------------------10------| |--9-10-11-------------------------------|------10--------------------10--| |----------------------------------------|--------------------------------| |----------------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------10--11--------------|-------------10--9-------------| |----------10--10--10--10----------|---------11---------11---------| |------10------------------10------|-----10-----------------10-----| |--10--------------------------10--|--8-------------------------8--| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |-----------6--8-----------| |--------6--------------6--| |-----5--------------5-----| |--7--------------7--------| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--------------5------12--15--|----------------------------------| |--5--------5-----13----------|--15------15--13------------------| |--------5--------------------|------14----------14------12--14--| |-----7-----------------------|----------------------15----------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |--15--12--------------------------| |----------15--12----------12--15--| |------------------13--------------| |----------------------15----------| |--------------------------------|--------------8--9--10----------| |--------------------------------|----------10--------------------| |--------15--12--------------12--|--10--------------------10------| |--14------------14------14------|------10--------------------10--| |--------------------15----------|--------------------------------| |--------------------------------|--------------------------------| |--------------10--11--------------|-------------10--9-------------| |----------10--10--10--10----------|---------11---------11---------| |------10------------------10------|-----10-----------------10-----| |--10--------------------------10--|--8-------------------------8--| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |----------------------------------|-------------------------------| |-----------6--8-----------| |--------6--------------6--| |-----5--------------5-----| |--7--------------7--------| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| |--------------5------12--15--|----------------------------------| |--5--------5-----13----------|--15------15--13------------------| |--------5--------------------|------14----------14------12--14--| |-----7-----------------------|----------------------15----------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |----------------------------------| |--15--12--------------------------| |----------15--12----------12--15--| |------------------13--------------| |----------------------15----------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------------|------13--------------13----------| |--------15--12----------11--12--|--13------13--12----------13--14--| |--14------------14--15----------|------------------15--------------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------15--14--|--13----------------------13------| |------14--------------16----------|----------------------14------14--| |--15------15--12------------------|------13--------------------------| |------------------13--------------|----------13--14--15--------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |------16----------15------15--18--|--16------------------------------| |--16------18--19------16----------|------16--------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------17----------17----------| |----------------------------------|--------------18--16------18--19--| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--------------------------15--14--|--13----------------------13------| |------14--------------16----------|----------------------14------14--| |--15------15----------------------|------13--------------------------| |--------------17--13--------------|----------13--14--15--------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------------| |--13--16--13--14--15------15--18--|--16----16--14----12--------| |----------------------16----------|------------------------14--| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |----------------------------------|----------------------------| |--------------------------| |--12----------------------| |--------13----11----------| |--------------------14----| |--------------------------| |--------------------------| Quiet volume pedal section starts here |--16----16--14----12--------|--------------------------| |------------------------14--|--12----------------------| |----------------------------|--------13----11----------| |----------------------------|--------------------14----| |----------------------------|--------------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |--------------12----15------|------------------------|------------------17----| |--12------14------------12--|------------------14----|--16------14------------| |----------------------------|--12------14------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|--14--------------------| |--14------------------|----------17------------|----------16------14----| |----------14----------|--15--------------15----|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------|------------------------|------------------------| |----------------------------|--14------16--14----16----|--16------12--14----12-| |-----------------------(16)-|--------------------------|-----------------------| |--16----------13----16------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------16----------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |----------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |--14----12----------------|--------------------------|--15--------------------| |--------------13----11----|--12----------------12----|--------------12---13---| |--------------------------|----------12--14----------|------------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |--------------------------|--------------------------|------------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------14----| |----------17------14----|--------------------------|----------------------| |--14--------------------|--16----------------14----|--15------------------| |------------------------|-------14---16------------|----------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------| |------------------------|--------------------------|----------------------| |--------------------------|-----| |--16----14----------------|-----| |--------------15----13----|--16-| |--------------------------|-----| |--------------------------|-----| |--------------------------|-----| |: :| E----11-14-11-- B--12---------- G-------------- D-------------- A-------------- E-------------- Hold the B chord and play the above B arpeggio on the guitar: (B arpeggiation) And she began to plummet earthward till she Landed in the nasty part of town Em (Bass goes E->Eb->D->Eb and repeats) Trey plays : (repeat each as necessary, listen to a song) |: :| |: :| |: :| Slide down after this one back to the start E---------------------------------------- B--12------13------16------17------------ G---------------------------------------- D---9------10------13------14------------ A---------------------------------------- E---------------------------------------- She glanced about the village sure to find the evil men Fm Who rob and pillage in the darkest hour of night Ebm Nervously she fumbled for the pouch that held the Em Puppet on her rump. (Same) Feeling quite outnumbered Esther hid behind A nearby pile of lumber, where she waited Till the dawn Cause it would have been a blunder to Succumb to a hoodlum on the prowl D A/C# C G/B When the morning came, she wandered through the streets Bb D/A E7/G# Gm Along the chilly lake that lay beside the town D/F# G E7/G# A At last a peaceful moment, but she thought she heard a sound A7 A6 A Dm7 (arpeggiation) It was an angry mob of joggers coming up to knock her down (same chords as verses) As Esther stood and shook her head The joggers were approaching And she knew she had no choice left but to swim As the frosty water sank its bitter teeth into her hide She tried to slide the heavy clothing from her skin Naked now she made her way toward the shore When suddenly she felt a tiny tugging at her toe. And the puppet she'd fogotten wrapped its tiny Gm7bEbDb Little arms around her ankle and wouldn't let her go. Ab etc... The waves seemed to open and swallow her whole As the doll pulled her down through the eerie green deep And the sound of the laughing old man filled her ears As she drifted away to a tranquil E (flying jam) And motionless sleep. Cool guitar solo over flying jam: EEm E|-------------|-15-12-12----------------| B|-12-14-------|----------12-12-------12-| G|-------13-13-|----------------12-14----| D|-------------|-------------------------| A|-------------|-------------------------| E|-------------|-------------------------| FF# /2 E|-17-14-14--17-(17)-14-14--------|-18-14-14---18-14-14--| B|--------------------------------|----------------------| G|--------------------------------|----------------------| D|--------------------------------|----------------------| A|--------------------------------|----------------------| E|--------------------------------|----------------------| BEEm E|-19-|-------------|-15-12-12----------------| B|----|-12-14-------|----------12-12-------12-| G|----|-------13-13-|----------------12-14----| D|----|-------------|-------------------------| A|----|-------------|-------------------------| E|----|-------------|-------------------------| FF# /2 E|-17-14-14--17-(17)-14-14--------|-18-14-14---18-14-14--| B|--------------------------------|----------------------| G|--------------------------------|----------------------| D|--------------------------------|----------------------| A|--------------------------------|----------------------| E|--------------------------------|----------------------| BE E|-19--|-21-23--|-12-| B|-----|--------|----| G|-----|--------|----| D|-----|--------|----| Strike and hold an E chord to end. A|-----|--------|----| E|-----|--------|----|