One for the Road

(Lane)

 

 

I've had my friends
All them that come and ate with me
All them that come and drunk with me
I've had my friends

And there's been loads
All them that said they would stand by me
All them that said they could see what I could see
I've had my friends

I've had my dreams
New moon and roses, like a foolish kid (crazy kid)
Do unto others like I would to me
But I've had my dreams

And it's one for the road, yes it is
One for the cat's eyes, yes and
One for the white line
That's taking me back home

Well now, I've had my way
All them that took me there and back
All them that left me way off the track
I've had my way

Oh and I've had my day
Just like that doggy in the story goes
But night-time comes and he's got no bones
But I've had my day

And it's one for the road... (etc.)

I've had my woman
Takes her gardenia, now she stares away
Stares out the window with her eyes of grey
I love my woman

And it's one for the road... (etc.)

 

Transcribed by Peter Shields

 

 

Notes
(mainly for non-native English speakers)

· "One for the road" is commonly heard at the end of an evening's drinking, meaning: "Let's have one more drink before we take the road".
· Like many singers , Ronnie adds a syllable "-a" to make the song scan, so he sings "I've-a had my friends", "I've-a had my dreams" etc. I haven't transcribed this.
· "And there's been loads" presumably means "loads of friends" i.e. a lot of friends
· "Cat's eyes" are the glass reflectors set into the "white line" in the middle of the road.
· "Doggy" is an affectionate term for dog. There is a saying in English: "Every dog has his day".
· A gardenia is a flower sometimes worn in the hair. He may sing something else, but it sounds like "gardenia" to me, and Kate Lambert is certainly pictured with a flower in her hair.

 

 

Chords:

 

INTRO:
F [7 down strokes] C [FILL]
TAB FILL
--------
--------
---0-2---0
0-2----2-
--------
--------
TRY PLAY THE FILL WHILE HOLDING C CHORD USING THE 2ND FINGER.
Into continued:
C  F  C  G

C    F    C   G
I've had my friends
F                      C
All them that come and ate with me.
F                      C
All them that come and drunk with me.
C    F   C     G
I've had my friends.

C   F         C    G
And there's been loads.
F                               C
All them that said they would stand by
  [fill]
me.
F                             C
All them that said they would see what I
         [fill]
could see.
C    F    C    G
I've had my friends.

C    F    C   G
I've had my dreams.
F                         C        [fill]
New moons and roses like a foolish kid.
F                   C
Do unto other like I would to me.
C    F     C    G
But I've had my dreams.
CHORUS:
        F              C [fill]
And it's one for the road,     yes it's
F           C       [fill]         F
one for the cat's eyes.     yes it's one
          C     [fill]    C    F      C
for the white line,     that's taking me
     G
back home.
     C       F   C    G    F
Well now I've had my way, them that took
          C    [fill]  F
me there and back,  all them that left me
    C      [fill]    C   F    C  G
way off the track.  I've had my way.
       C    F    C  G      F
Oh and I've had my day, just like that
              C     [fill] F
doggy in the story goes, but night time
           C      [fill]          C   F
comes and he's got no bones  but I've had
C   G
my day.
REPEAT CHORUS AND INTRO.

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