Birthday card at Christmas
By Ian Anderson from The Jethro Tull Christmas Album.
Transcribed by Peter Dawson
Capo 4th fret
Time Signature: 4/4


  G5          C*        C**       E5       Dsus2 or D2
xxxo       xx   o     xx         xx  oo     xxo  o
||||||     ||||||     ||||||     ||||||     ||||||
||||||     ||||||     |||||*     ||x|||     |||x||
||||xx     ||||||     |||||x     ||||||     ||||x|
           ||||||     ||||||     |||x||
           ||xxx|     |||xx*



   Intro: Flute notes shown with guitar rhythm on damped strings
                                   
   |       |       |       |         |       |       |       |        
g#|------------------------2019--19|| 20---------------------(20)*----|
D#|--------------------------------|| --------------------------------|
B |--------------------------------||:X--x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X----x-x-|
F#|--------------------------------||:X--x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X----x-x-|
C#|--------------------------------|| X--x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X----x-x-|
G#|--------------------------------|| X--x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X----x-x-|
   * add 2nd time                     .          .           .
                                      Emphasis on first, 2.5 & 4th beats

 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|19--17------15--14------10--12--|----10------8---7-------3-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-|X-x-x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X---x-x-|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-|X-x-x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X---x-x-|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-|X-x-x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X---x-x-|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-|X-x-x-x-x---X---x-x-x-x-X---x-x-|

                                   |2
 |       |       |       |          |       |       |       |
|3---5-------8---10------2019--19 ||8---10------15--17--------------|
|-------------------------------- ||--------------------------------|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-:||X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x-x-------------|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x-:||X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x-x-------------|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x- ||X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x-x-------------|
|X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x---x---X-x-x-x- ||X-x-x-x-x---X-x-x-x-------------|



 Riff (play twice)
 Guitar chords
 E5    Dsus2 E5     D2 D          C/D         C**             D
 Flute notes shown in tablature
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|0-0-0-----0-0-0-------0-2-------|------------3-3-5---3-2-3---2---|
|------3---------3---------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
** add in flute notes while strumming


 E5    Dsus2 E5     D2 D          C/D         D
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|0-0-0-----0-0-0-------0-2-------|--------------------------------|
|------3---------3---------------|1-1---1-----3-1-3-1-3-----------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|



[D]Got a birthday [A7sus4]card at [D]Christmas:
[E5]it made me [D]think of [Em]Jesus [G5]Christ.
[D]It said, “I love you” [A7sus4]in small [D]letters.
[E5]I simply [D]had to [Em]read it [G5]twice.
[Asus2]Wood smoke [C*]curled from blackened chimneys.
[Asus2]The smell of [C*]frost was in the air.
[Asus2]Pole star [C*]hovered in the blackness.
[Asus2]I looked again: [C*]it wasn’t there.

Riff x 2

[D]People have showered [A7sus4]me with [D]presents.
While their [E5]minds were [D]fixed on [Em]other [G5]things.
[D]Sleigh bells, bearded [A7sus4]red suit [D]uncles.
[E5]Pointy [D]trees and [Em]angel [G5]wings.
[Asus2]I am the [C*]shadow in your Christmas.
[Asus2]I am the [C*]corner of your smile.
[Asus2]Perfunctor[C*]y in celebration.
[Asus2]You offer [C*]content but no style.


 Flute solo (bold notes)(italics = triplets) with guitar accompaniment
   Cm                       Bb      Cm              Bb
   |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |
g#|--------3---3---3-3-3---3-------|8-----6---------1---3---1-------|
D#|4444444---------------------6---|------------8---3---------------|
B |5-----5-----5-------------5-----|------------5---3---------------|
F#|5-----5-----5-----------3-------|------------5---3---------------|
C#|3-----3-----3-------------------|3-----------3---1---------------|
G#|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


 Cm                      Bb       Cm              Bb
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|----3-4-6-3-6-4-3-4-3---3-------|--------------------------------|
|4-----4-----4---------6---6-4-6-|4-3-6-4-3-6-4-3-4-3-1-3---3-1---|
|5-----5-----5---------------3---|------------5---3--------3----3-|
|5-----5-----5-------------3-----|------------5---3--------3------|
|3-----3-----3-----------1-------|3-----------3---1--------1------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


 Cm                      Bb       Cm              Bb
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|--------------------------------|--------------1-3-------3-1-4-3-|
|4-----4-----4---1-------3-------|4---1---3---4---3-------3-------|
|5-----5-----5-----0-0-0---0-0-0-|--0---0---0-5---3-------3-------|
|5-----5-----5-----------3-------|------------5---3-------3-------|
|3-----3-----3-------------------|------------3---1-------1-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


 Cm                      Bb       Cm              Bb
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|----11108-6-4-3-1-----------1---|1-2-3---3-1-8---1---------------|
|4-----4-----4-----4-3-1-3-4-----|------------4---3-4-3---1-------|
|5-----5-----5---------------3---|------------5---3-------3-------|
|5-----5-----5-----------3-------|------------5---3-------3-------|
|3-----3-----3-------------------|3-----------3---1-------1-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


 Cm              Bb
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |        
|--------------------------------|------------------------2019--19|
|1-----1-----1---1-3---1-3---4---|--------------------------------|
|5-----5-5---5---3-----3-----3---|--------------------------------|
|5-----5-5---3---3-----3-----3---|--------------------------------|
|3-----3-3---3---1-----1---------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


Introduction again


Riff x2


[D]Oh! that little [A7sus4]baby [D]Jesus.
[E5]He got a [D]birthday [Em]card or [G5]three.
[D]Gold trinkets and cheap [A7sus4]frankin[D]cense.
[E5]Some penny [D]baubles [Em]for his [G5]tree.
[Asus2]Have some time [C*]off for good behaviour.
[Asus2]Forty [C*]days, give or take a [Asus2]few.
Hey there, [C*]sweet baby Jesus:
[Asus2]Let’s share a [C*]birthday card with you.


Riff x2

 Repeat with flute ad lib till fade
 D                                D           A7sus4
|       |       |       |        |       |       |       |       |