Richard Thompson — Fergus Laing

    	    	Вступление

This song is found on the bonus EP that comes with the deluxe version
of Richard Thompson's record "Still" (2015).

These are the basic chords, and does not in any way capture the wonderful details
of Richard Thompson's virtuoso playing, variations and solos.
But it's a good starting point for developing your own version of the song.
Or just for singing along, perhaps substituting 'Fergus Laing' for the real name
of the person who is the subject of this very biting text – the man who became ...
well, see below for clues. 

The alternate verse 4 and last half verse are not on the recording, but has been heard live.
Thompson has been clear that the song is about the New York property developer;
under another name, for fear of being sued or worse.
(But clearly identified in the quoute in the last half verse.)
It was written before said property developer became the President of the USA.
Part of the lyric deals with the circumstances around his golf course project in Scotland.

Studio version similar to recording on YouTube
(good for studying Richard's technique):


Live version with alternate text:


[Verse 1]

Em                 D         Em
Fergus Laing is a beast of a man
    G        A       Em
He stitches up and fleeces
                 D        Em
He wants to manicure the world
     G       A      Em
And sell it off in pieces
G
He likes to build his towers high
      A
He blocks the sun out of the sky
        Hm                        A
In the penthouse the champagne's dry
              Em
And slightly gassy

[Verse 2]
Em                 D       Em
Fergus Laing, he works so hard
    G   A    Em
As busy as a bee is
                  D         Em
Fergus Laing has seventeen friends
G       A      Em
All as dull as he is
     G
His seventeen friends have seventeen wives
A
All the perfect shape and size
     Hm                             A
They wag their tails and bat their eyes
           Em
Just like Lassie

[Chorus]
A
Fergus Laing he builds and builds
                  Em
Yet small is his erection
A
Fergus Laing has a fine head of hair
                                Em        D
When the wind's in the right direction
                            C       H7
the wind's in the right direction

[Verse 3]
Em                    D         Em
Fergus Laing and his seventeen friends
       G      A    Em
They live inside a bubble
                          D       Em
There they withdraw and shut the door
    G   A        Em
At any sign of trouble
G
Should the peasants wail and vent
     A
And ask him where the money went
       Hm                        A
He'll simply say, it's all been spent
           Em
On being classy

[Verse 4]
Em                 D       Em
Fergus' buildings reach the sky
       G      A    Em
Until you cannot see 'em
                        D        Em
He thinks the old stuff he pulls down
    G   A        Em
Belongs in a museum
G
His own fair home is on the Park
    A
an airy jewel, a city ark
Hm                             A
Hung with Picasso, hung with Braque
              Em
but nothing brassy

[Chorus]
A
Fergus Laing he builds and builds
                  Em
Yet small is his erection
A
Fergus Laing has a fine head of hair
                                Em       D
When the wind's in the right direction
                            C       H7   Em
the wind's in the right direction

[Alternate Verse 4]
     G
His fits are famous on the scene
      A
The shortest fuse, so cruel, so mean
      Hm                    A
But don't call him a drama queen
              Em
Like Shirley Bassey

[Chorus]
Em                 D       Em
Fergus Laing he flaunts the law
     G        A       Em
But one day he'll be wired
                     D       Em
And as they drag him off to jail
       G        A          Em
We'll all shout, "You're fired!"