(Gary Brooker - Keith Reid)

Intro: C / [drum fill] Verse 1: C Fm In the wee small hours of sixpence C Fm And the lighted chandelier Dm Em F C Stands a rusty old retainer Abdim [N.C.] C/G Whose old eyes are filled with tears For his master, good Sir Gallant Who is now off to the wars And although his eyes are crying We know grief is not the cause Chorus 1: F F#dim C And if grief is not the reason F F#dim C He must be of sterner stuff F Am/E Dm And his sword, though old and rusty G /F /E /D Must be blunt as sharp enough Verse 2: In the wee small hours of sixpence And the broken windowpane Stand the remnants of the evening Who are waiting all in vain For the crowing of the cockroach Sure as morning is not night But the air is filled with silence And the day bright is not light Chorus 2: But still darkness is no reason We are men of sterner stuff And our swords, though old and rusty Still are blunt as sharp enough Instrumental break [key changes to D]: D Bm D/A Bm / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / G Bm/F# Em A /G /F# /E / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Verse 3: D Gm In the wee small hours of sixpence D Gm And the hat stand in the hall Em F#m G D Waiting only for the morning Bbdim [N.C.] D/A Shadows flitting 'cross the wall And perhaps that old retainer Who now giving of his all May have once been just as we are And now has no face at all Chorus 3: G G#dim D But still grief was not the reason G G#dim D He was made of sterner stuff G Bm/F# Em And his sword, though old and rusty A /G /F# /E Still was blunt as sharp enough D Bm D [end cold] / / / / / / / / / -- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers