Tony Chapman: Music
"Floodgates" - full band version - sample
I originally wrote the chorus of this song 30 years ago in an improvised music session with some Brazilian women - we were doing an impromptu madi-gras! in the south west of England - all dancing round a field play every instrument we could find, including pots and pans - well the chorus stayed with me for 25 years - I had ideas for the verses -they were going to star: famous people from every age of time, Cleopatra, Moses, Bob Dylan, Einstein, etc...
Eventually, a few years ago I was teaching a young student: music and I thought this would be a great song for him to play and sing if it was about a "circus!" the rest fell into place...
The boy went onto much musical success - he was/is amazingly talented and he was videoed playing/singing, this song like a 7 year old Elvis Presley. unfortunaltely I never got a copy of the video - such a shame - it was brilliant! .... there you go... such is the circus of life....
Flood gates.
Words and Music by Tony Chapman. Copyrighted.
F Bb Ab F Bb Ab F Bb Ab F
CHORUS:
F Ab G4 Bb F Cm Bb
Open ………………. open up the floodgates
Bb2
push wide the windows
Dbmj7 Eb F Cm Bb
let the barriers down
F Ab G4 Bb F Cm Bb
Open, ……………….. open up floodgates
Db7 C7 F (Bb Ab F)
Put on your dancing shoes. The circus is in town.
__________________________
C Gm
Eleplahants, acrobats, flame eater, strong man acts
C
Applause
C Gm
Trapeze artist on air. So high up we all stare
C
Crowd roars
Db Bbm Ab
Lion tamer cracks his whip,
B Abm Eb C
sad eyed clowns tumble and trip
CHORUS:
Drum and cymbol crashing,coloured lights are flashing,
Thunder
Double jointed girl twists, see the contortionists,
Wonder
Tumbler jumps through hoops of fire,
Tight rope walker balances on the wire
CHORUS:
Eb Bb
In every country, in every city, village and street
Eb Bb
In every mountain, in every forest, desert and sea
E
Open your eyes, open your ears,
F#
open your heart to the laughter and tears
G C
Inside (and) outside you and me, the circus is life and its free...
Instrumental over: F, Eb, Bb, Db (repeat) C
Ballerina dances on a horse who prances
round the ring
Juggler juggles sharp knives, magic laughter dust lies
On everything
Human cannonball takes aim, lady who was cut in two takes a bow
She's in one piece again CHORUS.
