The Hole In The Ground keyboard

The Hole In The Ground

• D

Artist: Bernard Cribbins
Song: The hole in the ground
Tabbed by: DJ
22nd April 2013

A 1962 novelty UK hit for popular comedy actor Bernard Cribbins,
and produced by George Martin (The Beatles producer).
Cribbins switches between a Cockney accent for the road worker,
and a middle-class accent for the gentleman in the bowler hat.

Tuning: Standard
CAPO: 2nd fret (Sounds in key of E)

Chord names and fret positions are relative to the capo:
D    = xx0232    Bm7  = x24232    F7   = 131211    C7  = x32310
A7+  = xx3223    E7   = 020130    F#   = 244322    B7  = x21202
D6   = xx0202    A7   = x02020    F#m7 = 242222    G7  = 320001
F#7  = 242322    Em7  = 022030    D7   = xx0212
Em7  = 022030    G    = 320033

^ = emphasise the beat

*******************************************************************

    D      A7+         D       A7+     A7+
||: /   /__/   /  /  |  /   /__/    /__/  /  :|| (Twice)
    ^      ^            ^      ^       ^

 D6      A7+         D6          A7+
There I was... a - digging this 'ole,
  D          F#7       Bm7                 E7
'Ole in the ground, s' big, and sought of round it was,
     A7      Em7    A7   G   D
And there was I, digging it deep,
        C#7                               F#    F#
It was flat at the bottom, and the sides were steep!
        ^                                 ^     ^

            F#m7       F#m7       E7
When, along...   comes...  this bloke in a bowler,
             ^          ^         ^
           A7                            D       A7
Which he lifted, and scratched his head,    woh,
                                         ^       ^
     D6             A7+    D6            B7
He looked down the 'ole,  poor demented soul, and he said...

Em7                           A7
          "Do  you mind if I make a sug - gestion?
 ^   ^ ^    ^    ^ ^          ^        e|------------------|
                                       B|------------------|
                                       G|------------------|
                                       D|------------------|
                                       A|---0--------------|
                                       E|--------3--2--0---|

  D        A7+     D             A7+
Don't dig there!  Dig it else - where!
        D6         A7+            D           D7
You're digging it round, and it ought to be square,
      G                       F#7
The shape of it's wrong, it's much too long,
F7       E7                      A7+   A7+         D     A7+
And you can't put a hole where a hole don't be - long!"
 ^       ^                        ^     ^          ^      ^

   D                  A7+   A7+
I ask you!  What a liberty, eh?
   ^                  ^      ^
          D                       A7+       D      A7+    A7+
'Nearly bashed him right in the bowler!  |  /   /__/   /__/  / |
          ^                       ^         ^      ^      ^ 

        D6      A7+         D6         A7+
Well, there was I...  a - stood in m' hole,
    D      F#7        Bm7             E7
Shovelling earth, for all that I was worth, I was,
     A7        Em7     A7    G    D
And there was 'im,  standing up there,
    C#7                                F#     F#
So grand, and official, with his nose in the air!
     ^                                 ^      ^

          F#m7      F#m7     E7
So I gave...   'im...     a look, sort of side-ways,
           ^         ^        ^
         A7                            D       A7
And I leaned on m' shovel, and sighed,    woh,
                                       ^        ^
  D6       A7+        D6           B7              Em7       A7
I lit me a fag, and 'aving took a drag, I replied--------------...
                                                   ^  ^^ ^^   ^

e|------------------|
B|------------------|
G|------------------|
D|------------------|
A|---0--------------|
E|--------3--2--0---|


     D            A7+        D             A7+
"I just couldn't bare... to dig it else - where,
      D6         A7+            D             D7
I'm digging it round, 'cause I don't want it square,
              G                  F#7
And if you disagree, it doesn't bother me,
F7    E7                         A7+    A7+   D   A7+    D     A7+   A7+
    That's the place where the 'ole's gonna  be!"     |  /   /__/  /__/  / |
 ^    ^                          ^      ^     ^    ^     ^      ^     ^

   D     A7+         D     A7+    A7+
|  /  /__/  /  /  |  /  /__/   /__/  /  |
   ^     ^           ^     ^     ^

        D6      A7+          D6          A7+
Well, there we were, dis - cussing this 'ole,
  D          F#7       Bm7                 E7
'Ole in the ground, s' big, and sought of round, it was,
     A7                   C7          B7
It's not there now, the ground's all flat,
          Em7                         Dm7    A7  D    A7+       G/B    D
And be - neath it is the bloke in the bowl - er hat,       and that's that!
           ^                           ^      ^  ^               ^     ^

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