Chalkhills and Children

(Partridge)

#\#i#/#Oranges & Lemons#\#/i#/#

Oranges & Lemons

 Recordings
XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge
Art
Annotated Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Album version, 4'59.
    Recorded at Ocean Way and Summa Studios, Los Angeles, USA, in late 1988.
    Produced by Paul Fox. Engineered by Ed Thacker.
    Released on Oranges & Lemons.
    Andy Partridge - Vocals and Percussion
    Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals
    Dave Gregory - Keyboards and Vocals
    Pat Mastelotto - Drums

    Andy: “This is largely about my rejection of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. I'm mundane. I like to gravitate toward the kids, privateness. I'm not into fame at all. When I get a slightly swelled head, it's nice to be punctured and drift down to earth and become stable again. Show business is really a dream and not what life's about. Life's about the glorious everyday. It's not really me when I'm treated like a famous person. This is real-life. Earth-colored.”

  2. Demo version.
    Released on 25 September 2006 on Fuzzy Warbles Volume Eight in the U.K.

    Andy: “Which brings us dear listener to what many people consider to be XTC's theme tune. Mojo Magazine voted it into the Top 50 Best British Tracks ever. How nice, they must have got the cheque then. A four track cassette capture for the Oranges, this is a basic ‘all that's needed’ type of demo — does what it says on the balloon.

    “Hey! Careful with that pin, those are my dreams. POP! Oh!”
  3. 2015 stereo mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the CD/Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  4. 2015 5.1 mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  5. 2015 instrumental mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  6. Work tape/demo version.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  7. "Working On Chalkhills And Children".
    Rehearsal at Leeds Studio, L.A.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.

Art

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

Lyrics

Notes

Brian Carter: “There is a Roman road called ‘Ermin Street’ which touches the outskirts of Swindon and goes to the Roman town of Cirencester. This passes about a mile from Andy's childhood home. It has always annoyed me how they mis-spelt ‘Ermin’ on the album sleeve!”

  I'm floating over strange land, it's a soulless, sequined, showbiz moon. I'm floating over strange land, and then stranger still, there's no balloon. But I'm getting higher, wafted up by fame's fickle fire 'til the...
  Chalkhills and children, anchor my feet. Chalkhills and children, bringing me back to earth eternally and ever Ermine Street. (Even I never know where I go when my eyes are closed.) I'm skating over thin ice, upon blunted blades of metal soft. I'm skating over thin ice, while some nonesuch net holds me aloft. But I'm getting higher, lifted up on lucks' circus wire 'til the...
  Chalkhills and children, anchor my feet. Chalkhills and children, bringing me back to earth eternally and ever Ermine Street. Even I never know where I go when my eyes are closed. Even I never spied that the scenes were posed. Even I never knew this is what I'd be. Even eyes never mean that you're sure to see. Still I'm getting higher, rolling up on three empty tyres, 'til the...
  I'm soaring over hushed crowds, the reluctant cannonball it seems. I'm soaring over hushed crowds, I'm propelled up here by long dead dreams. Still I'm getting higher, Icarus regrets and retires puzzled?
  Chalkhills and children, anchor my feet. Chalkhills and children, oddly complete. (Even I never know where I go when my eyes are all closed.) Here I go again!

© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:04:33 -0400
From: "J. D. Mack" <jdmack01 (at) verizon dot net>
Subject: Something for the Chalkhills website
Message-id: <6a2b0d1f-9508-602f-eb91-c715a1d83220 (at) verizon dot net>

Attached is a labor of love I've been working on for the past few weeks. It is bass guitar transcriptions for all of the songs on "Oranges and Lemons" - both notation and tab.

Thanks!

J. D.

Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 22:34:32 +0100 (BST)
From: PAUL FERGUSON <p.ferguson1 (at) lancaster dot ac dot uk>
Subject: Chalkhills and children guitar TAB
Message-Id: <199705212134.WAA28906 (at) unixa dot lancs dot ac dot uk>


Thought you might like this for the Chalkhills chord archive...

CHALKHILLS AND CHILDREN - guitar tab
-----------------------

As this is a keyboard song, most of the guitar inversions may be wrong,
and some notes may be omitted, but I've fiddled about with it til I was
happy it sounded OK to sing along to.

Starts on a bass note of C#, rising...

the first keyboard notes are played in parallel fifths. You can play
them in
any octave, but I've transcribed them:

----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------
------8-6-------------------------------------------------
6-8-9-6-4-8---8-------------------------------------------
4-6-7-----6-9-6-------------------------------------------
------------7---------------------------------------------

It's probably easier (it is for me) to have 2 guitarists, one to play
the root
notes, the other the fifths. The keyboard bit occurs often in the song,
when it
happens I've referred to it as (refrain), to save space, although an
alternative chord may be played instead/also.

Anyway, here goes...

  I'm floating over strange land It's a soulless sequined showbiz
moon...
C#                  F#      C#          F#sus4   F#       E       D
4-------------------2-------4-----------2--------2--------0-------2----------
6-------------------2-------6-----------2--------2--------0-------3----------
6-------------------3-------6-----------4--------3--------1-------2----------
6-------------------4-------6-----------4--------4--------2-------0----------
4-------------------4-------4-----------4--------4--------2-------0----------
4-------------------2-------4-----------2--------2--------0-------x----------


I'm floating over strange land and then stranger still there's no
balloon...
(chords as first line)

BRIDGE
------

  but I'm getting higher wafted up by fames fickle fire til the...
A#m/+5           Emaj7  A#m           F#
2----------------4------6-------------2--------------------------------------
2----------------4------6-------------2--------------------------------------
3----------------4------6-------------3--------------------------------------
3----------------2------8-------------4--------------------------------------
x----------------2------8-------------4--------------------------------------
x----------------2------6-------------2--------------------------------------


CHORUS
------

  chalkhills and children anchor my feet...     (refrain)
Amaj7            F#m6                 D         F#
0----------------2--------------------2---------2----------------------------
2----------------4--------------------3---------2----------------------------
1----------------2--------------------2---------3----------------------------
2----------------4--------------------0---------4----------------------------
0----------------4--------------------0---------4----------------------------
0----------------2--------------------x---------2----------------------------


  chalkhills and children...
Amaj7            F#m6
0----------------2-----------------------------------------------------------
2----------------4-----------------------------------------------------------
1----------------2-----------------------------------------------------------
2----------------4-----------------------------------------------------------
0----------------4-----------------------------------------------------------
0----------------2-----------------------------------------------------------


bringing me back to earth eternally and ever ermine street...
(refrain)
           F#      C#      B        C#       F#
-----------2-------4-------2--------4--------2-------------------------------
-----------2-------6-------4--------6--------2-------------------------------
-----------3-------6-------4--------6--------3-------------------------------
-----------4-------6-------4--------6--------4-------------------------------
-----------4-------4-------2--------4--------4-------------------------------
-----------2-------4-------2--------4--------2-------------------------------


even I never know where I go when my eyes are closed...
     Amaj7                F#m6                C#
-----0--------------------2-------------------4------------------------------
-----2--------------------4-------------------6------------------------------
-----1--------------------2-------------------6------------------------------
-----2--------------------4-------------------6------------------------------
-----0--------------------4-------------------4------------------------------
-----0--------------------2-------------------4------------------------------


(repeat for second verse/chorus - last line goes to middle-8...)

MIDDLE-8
--------

even I never know where I go when my eyes are closed...
     F#m                                      D
-----2----------------------------------------2------------------------------
-----2----------------------------------------3------------------------------
-----2----------------------------------------2------------------------------
-----4----------------------------------------0------------------------------
-----4----------------------------------------0------------------------------
-----2----------------------------------------x------------------------------


even I never spied that the scenes were posed...
                                        A
----------------------------------------0-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------2-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------2-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------2-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------0-----------------------------------
----------------------------------------0-----------------------------------


even I never knew this is what I'd be...
                                   D6
-----------------------------------2----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------3----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------4----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------0----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------0----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------x----------------------------------------


even eyes never mean that you're sure to see...
                                         A#m/+5
-----------------------------------------2----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------2----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------3----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------3----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------x----------------------------------
-----------------------------------------x----------------------------------


(goes into bridge... you should be able to work it out from here)
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