The Wheel and The Maypole

(Partridge)

#\#i#/#Wasp Star#\#/i#/#

Wasp Star

Recordings
Art
Annotated Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Album version.
    Released on Wasp Star.
    Prairie Prince (drums)
    Matt Vaughn (percussion, programming)

    Andy: “Two songs, one with no end and one with no beginning, sewn together at the hip. Hey it works. Modern English folk music meets cosmic shuffle. All about being permanently bound (and then unbound) by the mysteries of life. Pot is the girl, Maypole is the boy. Tie me up so that I may be released. Twang on, boys.”
  2. Demo version, 5'34.
    Released on Homegrown.

  3. Instrumental version.
    Released on 17 October 2002 on Waspstrumental in Japan.

Originally written as two songs, "The Pot Won't Hold Our Love" and "Everything Decays".


Art

#\#a href="http://fav.me/d4yeg4z" target="churl"#/#The Wheel and the Maypole#\#/a#/#

The Wheel and the Maypole

   

Lyrics

Album version:

Notes

Alan Welby: “. . . Aunt Sally [is] a reference to the game of the same name. It is a pub game only played in Oxfordshire [and] bits of Wilts and Berks by throwing a stick at a white ‘head’ or ‘dolly’. There is even a Aunt Sally league in the Vale of White Horse and I remember an Aunt Sally World Cup in Abingdon (which only had teams from Oxfordshire / Wilts / Berks in it)!!”

I've got the plough
If you've got the furrow
I've got the rabbit
If you've his burrow home
I've got the pen
If you've got the paper
Time is but clay and I'll see
You and the wheel turn
You and the wheel turn
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
Then we'll dash it to the ground
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
We'll build one bigger all around
Goes the wheel

I've got the seed
If you've got the valley
I've got the big stick
If you've Aunt Sally's head
I've got the time
If you've got the motion
Time is but clay and I'll see
You and the wheel turn
You and the wheel turn
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
Then we'll dash it to the ground
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
We'll build one bigger all around
Goes the wheel
Maypole, maypole, maypole
You've spun me round
And knocked me off my axis mundi
Maypole, maypole, maypole
The ties that bind you will unwind
To free me one day
And everything decays

Everything decays
Forest tumbles down to make the soil
Planets fall apart
Just to feed the stars
and stuff their larders
And what made me think we're any better
And what made me think we'd last forever
Was I so naive?
Of course it all unweaves

Maypole, maypole, maypole
You've spun me round
And knocked me off my axis mundi
Maypole, maypole, maypole
The ties that bind you will unwind
To free me one day
And everything decays
Pyramids and palaces to dust
Empires crumble in
Wedding cake begins to must and moulder
And what made me think we're any better
And what made me think we'd last forever
Was I so naive?
Failing to perceive
Maypole, round goes the wheel
Maypole, round goes the wheel
Maypole, the ties that bind
You will unwind to free me one day
    Round goes the wheel
    If the pot won't hold our love
Maypole

© 1999 Copyright Control

Demo version:

I've got the plow if you've got the furrow
I've got the rabbit if you've his burrow home
I've got the pen if you've got the paper
Time is but clay I'll see you and the wheel turn
You and the wheel turn

chorus:
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
Then we'll dash it to the ground
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
We'll build one bigger all around
goes the wheel

I've got the seed if you've got the valley
I've got the big stick if you've Aunt Sally's head
I've got the time if you've got the motion
Time is but clay I'll see you and the wheel turn
You and the wheel turn

chorus

chorus 2:
Maypole
Maypole
Maypole, you've spun me round and knocked me off my axis Monday
Maypole
Maypole
Maypole, the ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day
and everything decays

Yes, everything decays
Forest tumbles down to make the soil
Planets fall apart
Just to feed the stars and stuff their larders

And what made me think we're any better
and what made me think we'd last forever
was I so naive?
of course it all unweaves

chorus 2

Pyramids and palaces to dust
Empires crumbling
Wedding cake begins to must and molder

And what made me think we're any better
and what made me think we'd last forever
was I so naive?
failing to perceive

Maypole (round goes the wheel)
Maypole (round goes the wheel)
Maypole (the ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day)
Maypole (if the pot won't hold our love)
etc.

[transcribed by Brookes McKenzie and Mark Thompson]


Chords and Tablature

Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 01:33:01 +0100
From: Christer Liljegren <kokerskan.3 (at) telia dot com>
Subject: Updated chords and tab to The wheel and the maypole
Message-ID: <BE345ECC.2151%kokerskan.3 (at) telia dot com>


Hi, the "Everything decays" chords is transcribed from Homegrown (Everything
Decays - Early Cassette Idea). And I'm not sure if Andy is playing these
chords on the Wasp Star version. Anyway I believe they are pretty close.
Hope you'll enjoy!

The Wheel And The Maypoole (by Andy Partridge)


Intro. same as first four bars of the verse.

    I've   got the plow       if     you've  got the furrow  -
    I've   got the pen        if     you've  got the paper   -
E-----------2-----------4-----0---------------2-----------4-------
B-----------2-----------4-----0---------------2-----------4-------
G-------4---------------------------------4-----------------------
D---4-----------4->-6-----------------4-----------4->-6-----------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------
    Badd2/F#       C#add2/G#  C#m7/G# Badd2/F#        C#add2/G#

    I've   got the  rabbit,      if you've his burrow home.
   Time     is but clay and I'll see you and the wheel turn,
E-----------2-----------4-----0---------------0-----------2-------
B-----------2-----------4-----0---------------0-----------2-------
G-------4---------------------------------2-----------------------
D---4-----------4->-6-----------------2-----------2->-4-----------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------
    Badd2/F#       C#add2/G#  C#m7/G# Aadd2/E         Badd2/F#



   You and the wheel turn.                     And if the -
E-----------0---------x-------------x-------------------------
B-----------0---------0-------------0-------------------------
G-------2-------------0-------------0-------------------------
D---2-----------------2-------------3-------------------------
A---------------------3-------------4-------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------
    Aadd2/E           Cmaj7         C#7b5

 - pot won't hold our love,           if the
   pot won't hold our love,           if the
   pot won't hold our love.           Then we'll
E---0----------------------2---2-----------------
B---0----------------------4---4-----------------
G---2----------------------4---4-----------------
D---2----------------------4---4-----------------
A---0----------------------2---2-----------------
E------------------------------------------------
   Aadd2                   B

   dash it to the ground
E---2--------------2-------------------------------
B---2--------------4-------------------------------
G---2--------------4-------------------------------
D---4--------------4-------------------------------
A---4--------------2-------------------------------
E---2----------------------------------------------
   F#m             B


And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love, We'll build one -


 - bigger all around     -       Goes the wheel
E---2-------------------2-----------4-----0--------
B---2-------------------2-----------4-----0--------
G---2---------------4------------------------------  etc.
D---4-----------4-----------4->-6------------------
A---4----------------------------------------------
E---2----------------------------------------------
   F#m          Badd2/F#       C#add2/G#  C#m7/G#


Verse 2
I've got the seed if you've got the valley
I've got the big stick if you've Aunt Sally's head
I've got the time if you've got the motion
Time is but clay and I'll see you and the wheel turn
You and the wheel turn

And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
Then we'll dash it to the ground
And if the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love
If the pot won't hold our love, We'll build one -


 - bigger all around     -       Goes the wheel
E---2-------------------2-----------4---0-----------2---------4---
B---2-------------------2-----------4---0-----------2---------4---
G---2---------------4---------------------------4-----------------
D---4-----------4-----------4->-6-----------4----------4->-6------
A---4-------------------------------------------------------------
E---2-------------------------------------------------------------
   F#m          Badd2/F#...


E---------2----------4---0----0--------2---------4---------2------
B---------2----------4---0----0--------2---------4---------5------
G------4----------------------2--------4---------6---------4------
D---4---------4->-6-----------2--------4---------6---------4------
A-----------------------------2--------4---------6---------2------
E-----------------------------0--------2---------4---------x------
   Badd2/F#...               Esus4    F#sus4    G#sus4    Bsus4


   Maypole     Maypole    Maypole,you've spun me round and knocked -
   Maypole     Maypole    Maypole, the ties that bind you will unwind-
E---7-----7-----7-----7----7-------------x------------------x---------
B---9-----7-----9-----7----9-------------4------------------2---------
G---9-----8-----9-----8----9-------------4------------------2---------
D---9-----9-----9-----9----9-------------4------------------2---------
A---7-----9-----7-----9----7-------------6------------------4---------
E---x-----7-----x-----7----x-------------x------------------x---------
    E     B     E     B    E            B/D#               A/C#

  me off my axis Monday.            to free me one day. And everything
E-----------x-------------         -----x--------------x--------------
B-----------4-------------         -----5--------------4--------------
G-----------4-------------         -----4--------------4--------------
D-----------4-------------         -----4--------------4--------------
A-----------2-------------         -----2--------------2--------------
E-----------x-------------         -----x--------------x--------------
            B                          Bsus4           B


- decays                                                     Yes, everything
  decays            Forest tumbles   down to   make the   soil. Planets fall
  apart.            Just to feed the stars and stuff their larders.

E---x-----7-----x----x---------------5---------x-----------0----------------
B---9-----7-----7----4---------------5---------1-----------0----------------
G---9-----6-----7----4---------------3---------2-----------1----------------
D---9-----5-----7----3---------------2---------1-----------2----------------
A---7-----6-----5----4---------------3---------2-----------2----------------
E---x-----x-----x----x---------------x---------x-----------0----------------
    E   Eb#9#5  D   Db9             C13       B7b9         E


  And what made me think we're any  better
  And what made me think we'd  last forever.    Was I  so -
E-------------------2----------2-----x-----x-----x-----x------
B-------------------2----------4-----9-----9-----9-----9------
G-------------------2----------4-----9-----9-----9-----9------
D-------------------4----------4-----9-----9-----9-----9------
A-------------------4----------2-----7-----6-----x-----x------
E-------------------2----------x-----x-----x-----9-----7------
                   F#m         B     E    /D#   /C#   /B


 - naive?                     Of course it all unweaves
E----5----------x----------2----------------------------x---------x---
B----5----------x----------2----------------------------5---------4---
G----6----------4----------3----------------------------4---------4---
D----7----------2----------2----------------------------4---------4---
A----7----------2----------4----------------------------2---------2---
E----5----------4----------2----------------------------x---------x---
     A         E/G#       F#7                         Bsus4       B


Verse 2
Maypole, Maypole
Maypole, you've spun me round and knocked me off my axis Monday
Maypole, Maypole
Maypole, the ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day

And everything decays
Pyramids and palaces to dust
Empires crumbling
Wedding cake begins to must and moulder

And what made me think we're any better
and what made me think we'd last forever
Was I so naive?
Failing to perceive


   Maypole  Ro  -  und      goes   the wheel,
   Maypole  Ro  -  und      goes   the wheel
E---0-------2------4------2------0-----------2-----4-----2-----
B---0-------2------4------2------0-----------2-----4-----2-----
G---1-------4------6------4------1-----------4-----6-----4------ etc.
D---2-------4------6------4------2-----------4-----6-----4-----
A---x-------x------x------x------x-----------x-----x-----x-----
E---x-------x------x------x------x-----------x-----x-----x-----
    E     F#sus4  G#sus4 F#sus4...


Maypole   The ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day
Round goes the wheel   Everything decays   The pot won't hold our love.

Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 20:24:24 +0100
From: Tim Harris <wordsrus (at) wordsrus dot demon dot co dot uk>
Subject: chords for Whhel & Maypole (demo)
Message-ID: <KEaJODAoDeN3EwNA (at) wordsrus dot demon dot co dot uk>


The Wheel and the Maypole

[The Bs and Es in the first part are picks around XX447X slide thru
XX6XXX/XX999X]

A9 (002200)(4x)   * B   E   B    E     B    E    B   E   A    B
B            E       B              E
I've got the plow if you've got the furrow
B            E         A                 B
I've got the rabbit if you've his burrow home
B            E      B              E
I've got the pen if you've got the paper
B           E             A                 B
Time is but clay I'll see you and the wheel turn
A                 Cmaj7 (032000)  A9
You and the wheel turn

chorus:    A9                 B
And if the pot won't hold our love
       A9                 B
If the pot won't hold our love
       A9                 B
If the pot won't hold our love
           F#m            B
Then we'll dash it to the ground
           A9                 B
And if the pot won't hold our love
       A9                 B
If the pot won't hold our love
       A9                 B
If the pot won't hold our love
                F#m        B      [rpt chords from *]
We'll build one bigger all around    (goes the wheel)


I've got the seed if you've got the valley
I've got the big stick if you've Aunt Sally's head
I've got the time if you've got the motion
Time is but clay I'll see you and the wheel turn

You and the wheel turn

chorus


[transition chords:] A  A/F#  Amaj7/F# (202120)  A9
to chorus 2:
E       B
Maypole
E       B
Maypole
E               B                 A(maj7)           B
Maypole, you've spun me round and knocked me off my axis Monday
E       B
Maypole
E       B
Maypole
E            B                  A(maj7)        B
Maypole, the ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day
                     E  D#  D  C#  Cmaj7  A9  E
and everything decays
                  E    D#   D
Yes, everything decays
C#             Cmaj7   A9       E
Forest tumbles down to make the soil
              E    D#   D
Planets fall apart
C#               Cmaj7     A9          E
Just to feed the stars and stuff their ores
                 A               E
And what made me think we're any better
                 A                  E
and what made me think we'd last forever
           F#    F#7
was I so naive?
                   B       B(7)
of course it all unweaves

chorus 2

Pyramids and palaces to dust
Empires crumbling
Wedding cake begins to must and molder

And what made me think we're any better
and what made me think we'd last forever
was I so naive?
failing to perceive

Maypole (round goes the wheel)
Maypole (round goes the wheel)
Maypole (the ties that bind you will unwind to free me one day)
Maypole (if the pot won't hold our love)
etc.

--
Tim Harris

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