ONILLEY'S STRANGE DREAM
By Dave Bidini and Martin Tielli
On the album: Introducing Happiness
Transcribed by Aaron Albert and Mike Kaplan
 
Here's "Onilley's Strange Dream" or "Saskatchewan II". I'm not sure about the line "...and everyone was
happy..." I'm waiting for Mike to get back to me on that one. And there are a couple other parts I'm
not sure about. But this is most of the song anyway and it sounds really good. Have fun!
 
 
Intro: G
 
E ---------------
B -----0---3-0---
G ---0---2-----0-
D -0-------------
A ---------------
E ---------------
 
Am
Some sailors never die. They rot at sea.
 
Am
Hello, my friends.
   G                 D        G  Am
My name is Onilley McNoan--to me.
 
I went to war on the Caroline.
Am
Remember from that other song?
     G                D      G
Well there the author got it wrong.
   G             D       C
Survive did I--I did not drown.
  C        D          G
I lived on Turtle Isle.
 
 
  Em                   F
I jumped the Caroline
                              Em   F
For she'd been had by Neptune.
  Em                       F
Gadungder burped the sea;
                           G   D  C
Now coral grows inside her hull.
 
 
Am
Me and Jim, my lifeboat friend--
Am
Strips of flesh torn from his limbs.
      G                  D   G
Well, Chicken Jimmy kept me alive.
       G               D     C
Though wasn't much for conversation.
Am
Life-boat this and life-boat that;
Am
For days and days I fought the waves
    G                          D        G
And landed on an open beach of gold and blue.
 
 
  F
I picked myself up off the sand.
  D
I Hauled my body onto the land
    Bb
And from the jungle there they stand...
A                    D
They layered colors on my face and on my arms.
A                            D
Hornbills squawked; I fed on fruit and wild boar.
A                                  D
I showed them guns and taught them how to sing Lang Syne,
???
And everyone was happy.
 
 
Em
She was the queen with funny teeth.
    Em
She tried to hide them underneath
    G                D       G
Her dainty hands and nervous lips.
         Em
Though I could not tell her so,
    Em
She was the one who kept me breathing.
G                 D      G
While the wild volcanoes flared.
    G             D         C
She told me I was sick with pride
    C             D       G
All pumped up and sentimental.
 
 
Em                          F
The sky grew dark with ash,
                                Em    F
And powder settled on the water.
  Em                     F
Gadungder burped the sea
                              Em        F
And funnels spiralled down to take her.
  Em                       F
I climbed the highest tree
                             G    D   C
And from the sky I heard her call.
 
 
Am
From this dream--as I awoke--
Am
I could have sworn that Jimmy spoke,
    G               D        G
But it was probably just the boat.
 
 
     Am
Some sailors never die.
C G                D     G
I woke up under an ocean sky
      G                     D     C
With a pile of bones laying at my side.