Old British folk song. Apparently Beach House covered this song and called it “Lovelier Girl” because of the U.S. being what it is among young folks in the post-millennium, and when I found chords for that cover online I was excited and then played them and they’re wrong. Not just different-key wrong but like, there are from what I can tell no minor-seventh chords anywhere in the song. But who knows what else Beach House did with this unassailable great.
So the recording I have is off on the tuning, and there’s all kinds of melodic lines being plucked that are beyond my capabilities, but here’s the basis for the song in the hopes a better player than I am can build off it.
Forgive misheard lyrics, though I stand by that weird line in the chorus.
INTRO:
D F#m
Bm Bm/A
E (fiddle with making it an E7)
G
A - A7 -
VERSE 1:
D F#m Bm Bm/A
Long days of wanting you here.
E E7
Living in fear.
G A
Shedding many a tear for you.
A7
D F#m Bm Bm/A
Long nights of pasty-faced moons.
E E7
Echoing rooms.
G A
All filling with gloom for me.
A7
CHORUS:
D F#m Bm Bm/A
Letters by goblin mail.
E7 A7
Feeling like the wind from the sea
D F#m Bm Bm/A
Got me thinking, 'bout my lonely trail.
E7 A7
Deciding I must have you here with me.
VERSE 2:
Now step closer into the light
must have the sight of you
as I make love with you.
Cause there's nothing, lovelier girl,
in all the world
than making love with you.
CHORUS
Repeat first 3 lines of Verse 2, then finish the verse with plucking I can't figure out.
Thank you so much for this! Great song, greater album.
Just noticed this. Thanks for writing out the llyrics/chords. We actually played it in C capo 2, whic makes it much easier. Yes sorry about that Goblin Mail line – no wonder Beach House changed it. Both that and the title were bascally “in Jokes” between me ad Caro.
We are setting up a full TCJ lyrics site, both the First Day stuff and more contemporary work. You can prob find it if you google tony caro john.
Best
Tony
I just idly Googled to see if anyone had an explanation for the name of this song, and was (a) delighted to see someone had tabbed it out (thanks, Dave!) and (b) delighted to see a hint on how to play it from a songwriter. “All On The First Day” has been a personal favorite LP of mine for ages. Such a beautiful weird slice of something.
Thank you for posting this!
And Tony, thank you so much for creating this music! As a songwriter, it’s been an inspiration. I actually Really Love the “letters by goblin mail” line , it’s one of my favorite lines from the whole album. Thanks again for the music.
nice song but you come off as a pompous d-bag when you include the US and beach house in your into.
seriously, get your head out of your ass you turbo nigger hipster.