I had *sworn* that I wasn’t going to submit this weeper to Andrew’s
Ace Archives even as a joke (should I wait for April Fool’s Day or
Halloween?) — but no sooner had I acquired a copy on the COLLECTOR’S
ESSENTIALS: THE ’60S comp than it was mentioned in Rev. Billy C. Wirtz’s
‘Backside’ column (‘During the early Sixties Dickie Lee was the king of
the splatter platter’) in the 3/97 issue of _Musician_ magazine. (Fer
chrissakes, the lyrics are even *quoted in full* in Brunvand’s _The Mexican
Pet_!) This kozmic konfluence of events convinced me of the error of my
ways:
«Laurie (Strange Things Happen)»
(Milton C. Addington)
Intro:
(RMI or Baldwin electric harpsichord; band enters 3rd bar)
F Bb F
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Verse 1:
F [2,3: F/C] Bm7-5 Bb/C C
Last night at the dance I met Laurie
F Am Bb Bb/C C
So lovely and warm, an angel of a girl
F F7 Bb Bbm
Last night I fell in love with Laurie
F/C Dm Gm7 Bb/C C
Strange things happen in this world
Verse 2:
As I walked her home she said it was her birthday
I pulled her close and said, «will I see you anymore»
Then suddenly she asked for my sweater
F/C Dm Gm7 C F F7
And said that she was very, very cold
Bridge:
Bb F
I kissed her goodnight at her door and started home
Bb F F7
Then thought about my sweater and went right back instead
Bb F Dm
I knocked at her door and a man appeared
G7 Bb/C C
I told why I’d come, then he said
Verse 3:
You’re wrong, son, you weren’t with my daughter
How can you be so cruel to come to me this way
My Laurie left this world on her birthday
F/C Dm Gm Am D7
She died a year ago today
[key change to G]
Verse 4:
G C#m7-5 C/D D
A strange force drew me to the graveyard
G Bm C C/D D
I stood in the dark, I saw the shadows wave
G G7 C Cm/Eb
And then I looked and saw my sweater
G/D C G G7
Lying there upon her grave
Coda:
C D C [N.C.] G
Strange things happen in this… world
— another ace 60’s tab from Andrew Rogers
