Chords for Tumbalalaika - Pete Seeger and Ruth Rubin

_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ There's one song that _ you printed in your book, and I've sung it, oh, in a dozen different countries,
because it's got a chorus that anybody can join in on.
_ _ It's one of these riddle songs.
I guess every country's got riddle songs.
_ _ _ Let's get in the key where you can sing it as well as [A] I can.
I'll do my tenor.
_ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [A] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [Em] _ _ [B] _
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ _ _ _ [C] _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Wasken wachsen, wachsen und regen, _
[Am] Wasken _ [Bb] brennen und [A] _
duifen,
[Bb] _ _ [E] Wasken weinen, weinen und treiben.
Say, [Gbm] let's ask anybody that's [E] watching this.
[A] You're foolish if you don't [B] sing along with us. _
[Fm] Tumbala, tumbala, like [E] a_
I'll get in tune so I can really play it.
_ Clear out the throat, try it.
_ _ _ Tumbala, [Am]
tumbala, _ [E] _ _ like _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
a_ _ _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ [E] Spielbala, _
_ _ [Bm] _ [E] tumbala, like a_
Frag nach [Am] so [E] weit.
_ [B] _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ [C] Mädel, _ Mädel, ich [E] will bei dir fragen,
_ Wasken _ wachsen, wachsen und [C] regen,
[Em] _
Wasken _ [Bb] brennen und duifen,
[Em] _ _ [Bb] _
[E] Wasken _ weinen, weinen und treiben.
[Am] _ _ _ _
Tumbala, tumbala, _ _ [E] _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
like _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ [A] _ _
[E] a_ _ _ _
Frag _ nach so [A] weit.
As I understand it, the words mean,
[E] a _ boy is [A] standing all night long thinking and thinking what to ask the [E] girl. _
Finally he says,
Mädel, Mädel, was kann groß [A] ohne Regen,
Was kann weinen ohne Tränen,
Was kann brennen ohne sich zu brennen? _ _ [E] She says,
Foolish boy, why do girls always [Am] say foolish boy,
Don't you know only a stone can [Em] grow without rain,
But a heart can cry without tears,
And [F] love [E] can burn without burning [A] itself out. _ _ _ _ _
Nörscher Bocher, was [E] darfst du fragen,
A stone can wachsen, wachsen [A] und regen,
Liebe [C] kann _ [D] brennen, _ [E] _ _
_ duifen_ _ _
Once _ _ _ [A] _ [Am] more.
_ _ Tumbala, _ tumbala, [Em] _ [A] _ [E] _
like a_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ [Am] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ [A] _ [E] _
_ [D] _ _ [E] _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [E] _ _ _ [N] _