MAMAS AND THE PAPAS - "Creeque Alley" Tablature

"Creeque Alley"
(John Phillips / Michelle Gilliam)

[Note: acoustic 12-string is detuned 3 semitones and fingered in D]

Intro:

(12-string [4X; drums and bass enter 4th time]):

B7
/ / / / / / / /

Verse 1:

B7
John and Mitchie were gettin' kind of itchy
Just to leave the folk music behind
E7
Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
B7
Tryin' to get a fish on the line
F#7
In a coffee house Sebastian sat
E7
And after every number they'd pass the hat
B7
McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
E7
In L.A., you know where that's at
D7 B7
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 2:

Zally said "Denny, you know there aren't many
Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south"
Denny said "Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish
I could play guitar like you"
Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher
In L.A., you know where that's at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 3:

When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore
But she changed her mind one day
Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
"Take me to New York right away"
When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps
McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
But that's what they were aimin' at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 4:

Mugwumps, high jumps, slow slumps, big bumps
Don't you work as hard as you play
Make up, break up, everything is shake up
Guess it had to be that way
Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful
McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire
In L.A., you know where that's at
And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Instrumental break:

(flute solo over verse chords [might be edited on 45])

Verse 5:

Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted
And Mitchie wants to go to the sea
Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it
We knew she'd come eventually
Greasin' on American Express cards
Tent's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
Can't go on indefinitely
And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality

Coda:

(flute solo):

E7 D7 B7
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

E7 D7 B7
/ / / / / / / / /


-- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers