Birdland - Manhattan Transfer
Intro
| [Bm] [C] | [D] | [Bm] [C] [D] | [G] | x3
Verse 1
[Bm] [C] [D]
Five thousand light years from Birdland
[Bm] [C] [D] [G]
but I'm still preachin' the rhythm.
[Bm] [C] [D]
Long gone, uptight years from Birdland,
[Bm] [C] [D] [G]
and I´m still preaching that rhythm.
[Bm] [C] [D]
Years from the land of the Bird,
[Bm] [C] [D] [G]
and I am still feeling the spirit.
[Bm] [C] [D]
Five thousand light years from Birdland,
[Bm] [C] [D] [G]
but I know people can hear it.
Chorus
[Bb9]
Bird named it, Bird made it,
[Dm7] [Cm7]
Bird heard it, then played it.
[G] [Bb] [Eb] [G] [C] [G]
Well stated! Birdland, it happened down in Birdland.
Verse 2
[G7] [Gsus4] [G]
Ooh! In the middle of that hub I remember one jazz club,
[Gsus4] [G]
where we went to pat feet down on fifty-second street.
[Gsus4] [G]
Everybody heard that word that they named it after Bird,
[Gsus4]
Where the rhythm swooped and swirled
[G]
the jazz corner of the world.
[Gsus4]
And the cats they gigged in there were beyond compare.
[G7]
Birdland, I'm singing Birdland.
[G7]
Birdland, old swinging Birdland.
Bridge
[G]
Hey, man, the music really turns you on!
[G7] [G]
You turn me on, you turn me around.
[Bm] [Em] [Bm] [C] [D] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Down them stairs, lose them cares, where?
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [C] [Dbdim] [D] [Cadd9]
Total swing, bop was king there,
[C] [Em] [D]
down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [C] [D] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Bird would cook, Max would look, where?
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland
[G] [Bm] [Em] [C] [Dbdim] [D] [Cadd9]
Miles came through, 'Trane came too there,
[C] [Em] [D]
down in Birdland
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Basie blew, Blakey too, where?
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Cannonball played that hall there,
[Am] [D] [G]
Down in Birdland, yeah.
Bridge
[G]
There may never be nothing such as that, no more
[G7]
scooby da, no more, down in Birdland,
[G]
that's where it was at, I know, I know
Back in them days bop was riding high,
[G7]
Hello! Ha hahaha and goodbye!
N.C.
How well those cats remember their first Birdland gig.
To play in Birdland is an honor we still dig.
Yeah, that club was like in another world,
sure enough yeah, baby.
All of the cats had the cooking on,
people just sat and they was steady looking on.
[G]
Then Bird he came and spread the word, Birdland.
N.C.
Yes, indeed, he did.
Yes, indeed, he did.
Yes, indeed, he did.
Yes, indeed, he did, Parker played at Birdland.
Yes, he really did.
Yes, indeed, he really did.
Yes, he really did.
[Bm]
Told the truth down in Birdland.
Verse 2
[C] [D] [Bm] [C] [D] [G] [Bm]
Yes, indeed he did, Charlie Parker played in, Birdland.
[C] [D]
Yes, indeed, he really did,
[Bm] [C] [D] [G]
Charlie Parker played in Birdland.
Chorus
[Bb9]
Bird named it, Bird made it,
[Dm7] [Cm7]
Bird heard it, then played it.
[G] [Bb] [Eb] [G] [C] [G]
Well stated! Birdland, it happened down in Birdland.
[Gsus4] [G]
Everybody dug that beat, everybody stomped their feet.
[Gsus4]
Everybody digs beep-bop, and they'll never stop.
[Bm] [Em] [Bm] [C] [D] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Down them stairs, lose them cares, yeah!
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [C] [Dbdim] [D] [Cadd9] [C] [Em] [D]
Total swing, bop was king, yeah, down in Birdland.
Outro
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [C] [D] [Bm7] [Bdim] [C] [Em] [D]
Bird would cook, Max would look, yeah, down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [C] [Dbdim] [D] [Cadd9]
Miles came through, 'Trane came too, yeah!
[C] [Em] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Basie blew, Blakey too, where?
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim]
Cannonball played that hall there,
[Am] [D]
Down in Birdland.
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim] [Am] [D]
Down them stairs, lose them cares, yeah, down in Birdland
[G] [Bm] [Em] [Bm] [Bbm] [C] [Bm7] [Bdim] [Am] [D]
Total swing, bop was king, yeah, down in Birdland.
