Nov192024

The Long Tall Texans – Cairo Chords on Piano & Ukulele

KeyKeyCapo

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[Verse 1]
G
Down in old
Cairo, in 1972
G
Well a  man, a
badly
dancer, took a
really hoochie coo
G
She knew how to
 shake it,
 such alley on
a blame
G
And when she
finished
shaking it,
 she made
another take
C
Down in old
 Cairo,
 hey, that
good old
       G
Rock'n'Roll
D
You oughta see
 those
pyramid dance
 they
E
Rock'n'Roll
     C
 all night
E   E# E  Bb
In old Cairo -
E  D# D  Bb
in old Cairo

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[Verse 2]
G
Rockin in an
arrow it's
 around about
midnight
G
Well, I got a
kind of
 hungry  I said,
man, I need a bite
G
then it was
Cleopatra
 pulling a
snake out her
breast
G
She whispered to me,
here's your bite
 and
wrapped it round
 my chest
C
Down in old Cairo,
hey, that good
           G
old Rock'n'Roll
D
You oughta see
 those
pyramid dance
they
E
Rock'n'Roll all
C
night
E   E# E  Bb
In old Cairo -
E  D# D  Bb
in old Cairo


[Solo]
G G C C G G D C G G G G

[Verse 3]
G
Well, riding on
 a camel a
cross a desert
sand
G
On my way to a
gig with a
guitar in my hand
G
When I reached
the
 join that came
on like a storm
G
They were rockin'
 and a-rollin'
and a-boppin'
and a-strollin'
G

How to play Cairo: key, chords and progression

To play Cairo by The Long Tall Texans, think in C major (no sharps or flats). It takes 7 chords: G, C, D, E, E#, Bb and D#.

The progression the song keeps returning to is G – C – G – D (V – I – V – II in C major). In solfa, that is soh – doh – soh – reh. Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Good to know: E#, Bb and D# are played as barre or movable shapes on guitar. Practise the change into them slowly; on piano and ukulele the same chords are easier.