Submitted by:  Barrie McCombs (bmccombs@acs.ucalgary.ca)
Words and music: West Indian (may be traditional)
Performer: Harry Belafonte
Album: Streets I Have Walked


THE BORNING DAY 

  Time: 4/4   Tenor: D(Bm)   Bass: C(Am)

  Key: G

INTRO:  6m,  6m

6m                 *           *                5
Mary and the Baby, .. hungry;  yes we know what hungry be
6m                  7m                   6m     2      6m
.. So we bring them peas and rice, and a little ginger tea
1              5                1             6m
.. Only pigeon peas and rice, a little ginger tea
1                5                  1                6m
.. Mary thank us with her eyes, she poor the same as we
    1        2m      6m     *
She poor the same as we


6m                 *           *             5
Mary and the Baby, .. lonely;  lonely is not good to be
      6m               7m               6m        2     6m
So we sit a while, and chat a while, to keep them compa-ny
1                      5           1                6m
Stay a while, make the baby smile, pass the time of day
1               5                   1               6m
When we see how pleased they be, it make us glad we stay
   1         2m       6m     *
So glad that we could stay


6m                 *          *                5
Mary and the Baby, .. weary;  oh, we know what weary be
      6m              7m                          6m            2    6m
So we make a bed, and pillow for their head, with down from the maho tree
1                  5             1                  6m
Only down from the maho tree, to rest them soft and good
1                     5              1              6m
We feel bad, these be all we had; we do the best we could
   1      2m      6m     *
We do the best we could


6m                     *         *              5
Mary and the Babe rest .. easy;  we go away and let them be
   6m                 7m              6m      2      6m
On hushed tiptoe, and voice kept low, we look up and see
1                  5              1               6m
Star of hope shine in the sky, to mark the Baby's birth
1                 5               1               6m
Seem to say, it's Borning Day, of better times on Earth
   1      2m       6m      *
Of better times on Earth


NOTES:
SYMBOLS:
- Asterisk (*) =  new measure, play same chord
- Period (.)   =  1/8 note rest at start of a measure
- Underline(_) =  sustain note into next measure

CHORDS (Number System):
- Example:     1    2    3    4    5    6    7
- Key of C:    C    D    E    F    G    A    B

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