Natalie Merchant – The Dancing Bear (Guitar Fingerpicking)

         Am
Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,

    Dm               Am
The dancing bear ran away with me;

        Dm               Am
For the organ-grinder he came to town

       E                   Am
With a jolly old bear in a coat of brown.

        Dm                    Am
And the funny old chap joined hands with me,

      E                 Am
While I cut a caper and so did he.

    Am
Dadadai dai dai dai dai dai dai,

    Dm          Am               Dm
dai dai, dadada dai dai dai, dai dai,

        Am           E             Am
dadadai dai dai dai,    daidadadadadai

           G                 C         E
Then 'twas fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,

Am                      E
I looked at him, and he looked at me,

      G                       C      E
And I whispered a word in his shaggy ear,

F                           E       Am
And I said, "I will go with you, my dear."

         Am
Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,

    Dm               Am
The dancing bear ran away with me;

        Dm               Am
For the organ-grinder he came to town

       E                   Am
With a jolly old bear in a coat of brown.

         G               C          E
Then the dancing bear he smiled and said,

         Am                      E
Well, he didn't say much, but he nodded his head,

       G              C        E
And the organ-grinder began to play

F         E             Am
"Over the hills and far away."

    Am
Dadadai dai dai dai dai dai dai,

    Dm          Am               Dm
dai dai, dadada dai dai dai, dai dai,

        Am           E
dadadai dai dai dai,   dai dadai dadai

       G                   C         E
With a fiddle-de-dum and a fiddle-de-dee;

    Am                     E
Oh, I looked at him and he winked at me,

       G                       C       E
And my heart was light and the day was fair,

    F      E                     A     E     F      E      F       E
And away I went with the dancing bear.

         Am
Oh, 'tis fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee,

Dm                    Am
The dancing bear came back with me;

        Dm                    Am
For the sugar-plum trees were stripped and bare,

       E                              Am
And we couldn't find the sugarcookies anywhere.

         G                   C          E
And the solemn old fellow he sighed and said,

         Am                      E
Well, he didn't say much, but he shook his head,

        G                    C          E
While I looked at him and he blinked at me

       Am              E
Till I shed a tear and so did he;

    G                         C           E
And both of us thought of our supper that lay

F        E             Am
Over the hills and far away.

         G               C       E
Then the dancing bear he took my hand,

       Am                       E
And we hurried away through the twilight land;

          G                 C         E
And 'twas fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee

F                E                   Am
When the dancing bear came back with me.

    Am
Dadadai dai dai dai dai dai dai,

    Dm          Am               Dm
dai dai, dadada dai dai dai, dai dai,

        Am           E
dadadai dai dai dai,  daidadai dadai

   G       C      E
La dai dai dai dadai

F           E
Dai dai dai dai dadai

F          E              Am
Laidai dai,    laidai dai dai