Bell Boy

Bell Boy

By The Who

>From Quadrophenia, 1973

Written by Pete Townshend Â©1973 Fabulous Music Ltd.





Capo on 1



Eb5                  x11346 & 6688xx    Bb                   x1333x

Eb                   xx1343             F7/A                 xx1211

Ab/Eb               (4)x1144            Abm6                 4x1331

Db/Eb                x41121 & x41124    Fmaj7                xx3555

Ab/C (Eb bass)*      x31144             Fii                  xxx565

F7sus4 = Bbsus4/F    x8886x             Fmaj7ii              xxx555

Eb7sus4 = Absus4/Eb  x6664x             F7ii                 xxx545

Ab6                  xx6541             Abii                 xxx544

Cm7                  x35343             F                    133533

Dm                   xx7765             Ab                   4x1144

C                    x355xx             Db                   x466xx

Ebsus2               xx1341             

[*no Ab bass, so default to C bottom; bass plays Eb]



[Gtr 1, top, acoustic; Gtr 2, bottom, electric]



[intro; synth arr for acoustic]

//|Eb     Cm|Db/Eb   Ab/Eb|Eb       Ab/Eb|Db/Eb |

//|Eb5      |             |              |    //|



|Eb     Cm|Db/Eb   Ab/Eb|Eb       Ab/Eb|Db/Eb |

|Eb       |             |              |      |



[verse; acoustic in]

||Eb               Ab/Eb  |Db/Eb             Ab/C|

||                        |                      |

A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the 



|Eb        Ab/Eb |Db/Eb           Ab/Eb|

|                |                     |

 Only soul in the world that's real



|Eb     Ab/Eb|Db/Eb    Ab/Eb //|Eb         Ab/Eb|Db/Eb    Ab/C||

|            |                 |                |             ||



But I see a face coming through the haze

I remember him from those crazy days, crazy days, crazy days



//|Cm7                  Ab        |Cm7           F|

//|Cm7                            |             //|

     Ain't you the guy who used to set the paces



|Cm7                Ab  |Cm7          F|

|Cm7                    |            //|

 Riding up in front of a hundred faces

|Cm7               Ab         |Cm7       F  |

|Cm7                          |           //|

   I don't suppose you would remember me but



|Cm7                  Ab      |Cm7       F|

|Cm7                          |[pick slide]

 I used to follow you back in '63



||:F    Dm|Eb     Ab|Bb      C|Db    Eb :||[repeat through spoken]

||:F    Dm|Eb     Ab|Bb      C|Db    Eb :||2



[spoken]

I've got a good job and I'm newly born

You should see me dressed up in my uniform

I work in an hotel, all gilt and flash

Remember the gap where the doors we smashed?





|Bb  F7/A Bb|                      |

|           |                      |

 Bell Boy,  I got to get running now

 Bell Boy,  Keep my lip buttoned down

 Bell Boy,  Carry this baggage out

 Bell Boy, Always running at someone's bleedin'



|F7sus4  |Bb                 |Eb7sus4 |Ab6   |

|        |                   |        |      |

 Heel          You know how I feel



|Abm6                           |Ebsus2     |        |        |       |

|                               |           |        |        |       |

     Always running at someone's heel



|Fmaj7                  Cmaj7       |D        |

|                                   |         |

    Some nights I still sleep on the beach, 



|Fmaj7              Cmaj7      |D     |

|                              |      |

    Remember when stars were in reach



|Fii            Fmaj7ii   |F7ii    |

|                         |        |

    I wander in early to work



|Abii                                |Eb    Ebsus2|Eb   Ebsus2|Eb    |

|                                    |            |           |      |

    Spend my day lickin' boots for my perks



[repeat verse]

A beach is a place where a man can feel

He's the only soul in the world that's real



But I see a face coming through the haze

I remember him from those crazy days, crazy days, crazy days, crazy days



Ain't you the guy who used to set the paces

Riding up in front of a hundred faces

I don't suppose you would remember me 

But I used to follow you back in '63



People often change but when I look in your eyes

You can learn a lot from a life like mine

The secret to me, it ain't flown up a flag

I carry it behind this bleeding little badge, what says:



Bell Boy, I gotta get running now

Bell Boy, Keep your lip buttoned down

Bell Boy, Carry the bloody baggage out

Bell Boy, Always running at someone's heel,

You know how I feel, always running at someone's heel



 Ebsus2

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