Night Boat To Cairo

Mike McConnell

transcribed by Mike McConnell

NOTE
every -- is one quaver in length
^ under a note means that it is a semi-quaver
+ means you hold the note

C   Bbm  C        Bbm      C        Bbm      C        Bbm      C
33-321--|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|------3-|-2------|--------|--------|------3-|23232---|
--------|------3-|4-------|------3-|1-------|------3-|4-------|------3-|
--------|3-------|--------|--------|--------|3-------|--------|--------|

Bbm      Fm       Abm      Fm       Db7      Fm       Abm      Fm
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--0-1-3-|45454-5-|--0-1-3-|45454-5-|--0-1-3-|45454-5-|--0-1-3-|
--------|3-------|--------|3-------|--------|3-------|--------|3-------|
1-------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|

Eb             D  C7         NC       C        Bbm      C         Bbm
--------|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
--------|--------|----------|------2-|1-1-1-1-|2-2-2-22|1-11-11-2+++----2-|
0++++++++++++++--|54545+5454|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
--------|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
--------|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
--------|--------|----------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
                     ^^                              ^
C        Bbm      C        Bbm      C        Bbm      C        Bbm
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
1-1-1+11|2-2-2-22|11-1-1-2+++----22|1-1-1-11|222-2-2-|111111-2+++----22|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|

C        Bbm      C        Bb       Fm       Abm      Fm       Db7
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
1-11--11|2-222-22|11-11-1-|2-------|5-555555|444-4-44|5-55555-|4-----4-|
--------|--------|--------|-----11-|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|

Fm       Abm      Fm       Eb             D  C7         C#D C#|:F
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|:--------|
5-555-55|4-444-4-|5-5555-0+++----4-|4-4444-5+++------|--------|:--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|:--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|:--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|:--------|
--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|:--------|

                                              repeat to fade
Ebm     :|F   Ebm  F   Ebm  F   Ebm  F       |: F        Ebm    :|
--------:|--------|--------|--------|--------| --------|-------- |


Lyrics
NIGHT BOAT TO CAIRO
(miss 26 bars)

Its just gone noon
half past monsoon
on the banks of the river Nile.

Here comes the boat
only half afloat
oarsman grins a toothless smile.

Only just one more 
to the desolate shore
last boat along the river Nile.

Doesn't seem to care
no more wind in his hair
as he reaches his last half-mile.

The oar snaps in his hand
as he reaches dry land,
but the sound doesn't deafen his smile.
Just pokes the wet sand
with an oar in his hand, 
floats off down the river Nile.

Floats off down the river Nile.