Jack Orion

Tabbed by James McKinnon
| /  slide up
| h  hammer-on
| x  Mute note
| s  Stopped note
I looked all over the internet for a tab for Pentangle's epic version of this
traditional song from Bert Jansch's album 'Jack Orion', but could find nothing.
So, I decided to learn it myself and write the tab as I went, as an aid to playing
it. Now that it's done, I hope others can benefit from my efforts.
The song is carried in large part by Bert's nimble-fingered guitar playing and
some of it is quite challenging, but it is a very interesting and varied piece
to learn.
(Note: I was helped by a tab that I found years ago which annotated only the first
part of this song. I have used most of it and altered some to what I believe is
the correct way of playing it. It has helped me enormously and I wish I could
provide accreditation, but all I have is a hard copy with no name to it and
no URL showing. Whoever that mystery tabber was, you have my thanks.)
Intro:

                         PART 1
 Verse 1:
(Bert's Vocal)
(4/4)

    Jack         O          rion

          was as good  a    fiddler

            as      ever           | fiddled on  a   string.

    He           could      make

          young women       mad

          to the  tunes       his  fiddle   would      sing.

                                                  He could
Verse 2:
(4/4)

 fiddle    the    fish out

         of the salt   water

        or  water   from        a       marble      stone,

    or          the   milk  out

          of a  maiden's     breast

          though      baby         she's  got     none.

                                                     He's
Verse 3:
(4/4)

    taken             his   fiddle

          into         his   hand

            he's    fiddled         and     he's    sung                            and

    oft         he's         played

          un -  to    the   king
 (4/4)                                                                 (2/4)

          who     never           thought  it          long.

                                   As
Verse 4:

    he          sat         fiddling

          in a  castle      hall,

            he's   played      them all     so          sound  asleep.

    All         but         for

          the   young prin- cess

          and for love        she  stayed              awake.

                       PART II
(Jacqui's Vocal)
Note that during each second line of Jacqui's vocal
(3rd bar), Bert departs from the main riff for one bar.
Verse 1
 (4/4)

 At first         he             played

  a slow          grave          tune                   and

    then         a   gay     one     flew.                            And

    many's        the            sigh

         and the loving         word                that

    passed      between     those  two

Verse 2
(4/4)

    Come   to     my             bower,

       sweet      Jack  O   -    rion                when

    all    men    are   at rest.                                     As

    I             am a           lady

          true  to    my        word                thou shalt

    be a            wel   -   come      guest.

                                                    He's
                         PART III
(Bert's Vocal)
Verse 1
(4/4)

    lapped      his        fiddle

          in a  cloth   of  green.

            A          glad   man,     Lord,   was       he.                             Then

    he's        run         off

          to    his     own house

          saying Tom,        come hither to           me.
(2/4)

Verse 2
(4/4)

Ere morning     has          come

          and the cocks    have crowed

            and       flapped their   wings   so        wide,                           'tis

    I    am     bidden      to

          that  lady's      door

 to stretch out                  by                                  her   side.

                               Lie
(Verse 3)
(4/4)

    down        in    your  bed

          my      good  master

            and     sleep       long as     you     may.

    I'll        keep  good  watch

          and a - wa -  ken   you

          three  hours       be -fore     'tis       day.

(Verse 4)

But he          rose        up,

          that    worthless   lad

             his    master's        clothes did       don.                            His

    collar      he's        cast

          a   -   bout  his   neck.

          He     seemed      the gentleman.

                           PART IV
Now this part is pretty tricky and takes quite a lot of practise to learn to play
it all through (it does for me, anyway). It is a good example of just how agile
a player Bert is as it quickens up here to what I think is a
brisk 6/4 time signature (I think; time signatures are not my strong point).
Anyway, I've spent a lot of time listening through only one speaker, so that the
vocals are largely absent and the guitar part comes to the fore, in order to get
Bert's guitar part right. After many hours, I'm now sure that this is correct.
Intro to this part:
(6/4)

(Jacqui and Bert's vocal:)
Verse 1
(6/4)

    Well,          he  didn't   take          that        lady             gay

          to  bolster or    to bed,

  but down       upon                      her    bower        floor

    there  he    quickly     had   her   laid.
(Note:I'm not entirely sure, but I think this little call segment is from
John's electric guitar, with Bert responding. In any case,for our purposes
it can just as easily played on the one guitar)

(Verse 2)
(6/4)

    And          he  neither kissed her          when he        came

    nor  when from her he   did go

and in           and      out          of       her    window

the moon         like a      coal   did  glow.

(Verse 3)
(6/4)

    Ragged                 are       your       stockings,      love

and stubbled  is   your cheek and chin

and       tangled         is        that         yellow         hair

           that  I      saw  yester  -   e'en.

Verse 4

The stockings             belong    to           my   boy       Tom.

    They're the first come to    my  hand.

The wind,        it       tangled   my          yellow          hair

    as           I      rode o'er   the  land.

                                    PART V
Now, this is a little tricky because there is no guitar part here; it is all carried by what
sounds like a harmionium, DannyThompson's bass and a pair of flutes.
But I have a cunning plan! The flute instrumental can be substituted to a fair degree by guitar, as
illustrated below. The chords are strummed and the individual notes picked, returning again to the
chords as follows. It actually sounds quite good and you can add any flourishes along the way that
you may.

For this vocal part, the chords are strummed with whatever improvisation
you feel like bringing to it.
(Verse)
(6/4)
(Asus2)                                  (C)          (G)
Tom took his fiddle into his hand. So saucy there he's sung.
(Asus2)                       (D)      (Asus2)
Then he's off to his master's house as fast as he could run.
(Asus2)                             (C)              (G)
Wake up, wake up! my good master. I fear 'tis almost dawn.
(Asus2)                        (D)         (Asus2)
Wake up, wake up! the cock has crowed. 'Tis time that you were gone.
(Asus2)                             (C)                  (G)
Then quickly rose up Jack Orion. He donned his cloak and shoon,
(Asus2)                      (D)     (Asus2)
Then cast a collar about his neck.He was a lord's true son.
(Asus2)                                  (C)                    (G)
And when he came to that lady's bower, he lightly rattled at the pin.
(Asus2)                  (D)       (Asus2)
The lady was true to her word, she rose and let him in.
(Asus2)                                 (C)              (G)
'Oh, whether have you left with me your bracelet or your glove.
(Asus2)                    (D)    (Asus2)
Or are you returned back again to know more of my love.
(Asus2)                           (C)                    (G)
Jack Orion swore a bloody oath by oak and ash and bitter thorn,
(Asus2)                          (D)            (Asus2)
Saying 'Lady I never was in your house from the day that I was born.
(Asus2)                                   (C)                     (G)
'Oh, then it was your young footpage that has so cruelly beguiled me.
(Asus2)                                (D)        (Asus2)
And Oh! that the blood of that ruffian lad should spring in my body!'
(Asus2)                             (D)        (Asus2)
And she pulled out her little sharp knife that hung down at her knee.
(Asus2)                                 (C)               (G)
And o'er her feet the red blood ran nor ever a hand could stay.
(Asus2)                       (D)          (Asus2)
And dead she lay on her bower floor at the dawning of the day.
(Note:In the recording, there follows here an instrumental piece which goes for about
five minutes, which we needn't bother with here, except to say that it is underlined
by the guitar riff as it appears in Part II. For convenience's sake, we'll content our-
selves with 4 bars of each variety. You can add or subtract whatever you like or even
dispense with this section altogether. Anyway, here it is:)
                                         Part VI

                        Part VII
(Verse 1)
(4/4)

    Jack       Orion's       run
(4/4)

          to      his own      house

           saying   Tom, my     boy,        come    here to me.
(4/4)

    Come        hither      now

         and I'll pay    your fee

          and    well -  paid    you       shall             be.
(2/4)

                                   If
(verse 1)
(4/4)

    I           have          killed
(4/4)

          a       man   to  - night

            Tom,                  I   would   tell it   thee.
(4/4)

But if    I     have   taken
(4/4)

          no      life  to  - night,

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