Cuckoo Is A Pretty Bird

Written by 
Trad.
Released on 
Early Acoustic Dylan (–1965)
Tabbed by 
Eyolf Østrem

Performed by Bob Dylan on the second Gaslight show (late Oct 1962)

Dropped D tuning (D-A-d-g-b-e')
Capo 4th fret

The tab only indicates the deviations from the D chord in the beginning. Meanwhile the strumming goes on, more or less as indicated in the first measure. The tab gives the pattern for the verses and for the interlude (last two lines)

   D
   :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|--2---2-2-2-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|*-3---3-3-3-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|--2---2-2-2-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|--0---0-0-0-0-----|-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|
|*-0-----------3---|-----------------|-------------3---|-----------------|
|--0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

 _______________________________________________________________________
| 1.                                                                    |
  F                         /c        D
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|(1)--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-1---------------|---------1-------|-----------------|----------------*||
|-2---------------|---------2-------|-----------------|-----------------||
|-3---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-0---------------||
|-----------------|---------3-------|-------------3---|----------------*||
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||

 _____________________________________________________
|2.
  F                 /c      F         D
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|(1)--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1---------------|-1-------1-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-2---------------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|---------3-------|-0---------------|-0-------3-------|
|-----------------|-3---------------|-------------3---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---0-----------|---------3-------|-3---0-----------|---------0-------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------------3---|-0---------------|-------------3---|-0---------------|

  F                                   D
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|-2---------------|-----------------|
|-1---------------|-1-------1-------|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-2---------------|-2-------2-------|-2---------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|---------3-------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-3---------------|-0-----------3---|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|

        D     /c D                  /c D
Oh, the cuckoo     is a pretty bird
        F              D
An' she warbles as she flies
        D    /c D               /c D
But she never     sings "Cuckoo"
          F               D
'till the fourth day 'n July

I've a-gambled in England
I've gambled in Spain
'An I betchu' ten dollars
That I'll beatchu' next game

I'll build me a cabin
On a mountain so high
So I can see Mary
When she goes ridin' by

I wish I was a poet
An' could write a fine hand
I'd write my love a letter
Lawd she would understand

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