The People Are Scratching
View chords used in this chart
[Verso 1]
Am Dm
Come fill up your glasses and set yourselves down.
E7 Am
I'll tell you a story of somebody's town.
C G7
It isn't too near and it's not far away.
C Am
It's not a place where I'd like to stay.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 2]
Am Dm
The winter came in with a cold icy blast.
E7 Am
It killed off the flowers and killed off the grass.
C G7
The rabbits were starving because of the freeze.
C Am
They started eating the bark off the trees.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 3]
Am Dm
The farmers said, "This sort of thing won't do.
E7 Am
Our trees will be dead when the rabbits get through.
C G7
We'll have to poison the rabbits, it's clear;
C Am
Or we'll have no crops to harvest next year."
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 4]
Am Dm
So they brought the poison and spread it around.
E7 Am
And soon dead rabbits began to be found.
C G7
Dogs ate the rabbits and the farmers just said,
C Am
"We'll poison those rabbits 'til the last dog is dead."
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 5]
Am Dm
Up in the sky there were meat-eating fowls.
E7 Am
The dead rabbits poisoned the hawks and the owls.
C G7
Thousands of field mice the hawks used to chase
C Am
Were multiplying all over the place.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 6]
Am Dm
The fields and the meadows were barren and brown.
E7 Am
The mice got hungry and they moved into town.
C G7
The city folk all took the farmer's advice
C Am
And all of them started to poison the mice.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 7]
Am Dm
There were dead mice in all the apartments and flats.
E7 Am
The cats ate the mice and the mice killed the cats.
C G7
The smell was awful and I'm glad to say
C Am
I wasn't the man hired to haul them away.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 8]
Am Dm
All through the country and all through the town
E7 Am
There wasn't a dog or cat to be found.
C G7
The fleas asked each other, "Where shall we stay?"
C Am
They've been on the people from then 'til this day.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
[Verso 9]
Am Dm
All you small creatures throughout this land
E7 Am
Stay clear of the man with the poisonous hand!
C G7
A few bales of hay might keep you alive
C Am
But he'll pay more to kill you than let you survive.
[Refrão]
Am7 Dm
The people are scratching all over the street
E7 Am
Because the rabbits had nothing to eat.
How to play The People Are Scratching
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Am. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.