Home | Song Index | Recordings Index | Buying Guide | Lists | Changes
#----------------------------------Please NOTE-------------------------------# #This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of the # #Song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship or research.# #----------------------------------------------------------------------------# Song title: No One Was Like Vermeer Original Album: Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild Words and Music by Jonathan Richman Copyright © 2007 Rockin' Leprechaun Music Published by Rockin' Leprechaun Music Transcribed by Gavin Chart (contactus@gartfrets.net) Intro: [Play: Dm - Am - Am7 | Gm7 - Gm - Am7 - Am] [x2] Verse: Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Back in the days of Rembrandt Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Back in the time of old Jan Steen Dm Am7 Gm Am7 All of them giants of shadow and light Gm Am7 Dm But no one was like Vermeer [Play: Dm - Am7 - Gm7 - Am7] Verse: Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Some paintings smell of joy and sweat Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Some paintings plain look so fine Dm Am7 Gm Some paintings are sad and passionate Am7 But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine Gm Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Yeah, Vermeer sends a chill up your spine Chorus: Dm Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was strange He had a warm modern colour range Am7 Dm Am7 As if born in another age Gm Dm Like maybe a hundred or so years ago [Play: Dm - Bb Gm - Am ] [x4] Verse: Dm Am7 Dm Am7 What's this, a ghost in the gallery? Dm Am7 Dm Am7 Great Scott! The martians are here! Dm Am7 Gm Am7 These strange little paintings next to the others Gm Am7 Dm No one was like Vermeer Chorus: Dm Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was weird He had his own way of doin' things Gm7 Am7 Dm With the paintings from another era, another era [Play out over Dm - Am7] Chords: Dm 557765 Am 577555 Am7 575555 Gm7 353333 Gm 355333
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All of them giants of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Some paintings smell of joy and sweat
Some paintings plain look so fine
Some paintings are sad and passionate
But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Yeah, Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was strange
He had a warm modern colour range
As if born in another age
Like maybe a hundred or so years ago
What's this, a ghost in the gallery?
Great Scott! The martians are here!
These strange little paintings next to the others
No one was like Vermeer
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was weird
He had his own way of doin' things
With the paintings from another era, another era
Back in the days of old Rembrandt
Back in the time of Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Some painters smell of joy and sweat
Some painters just look so fine
And some are sad and passionate
But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer was eiree
Vermeer was strange
??? More than colouring
As if born in a more modern age
Saying maybe oh a hundred or so years ago
Some painters smell of the convent floor
Some painters smell of red wine
Some painters just like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer took a step out of line
Vermeer took a step out of line
Vermeer was eiree
Vermeer was wierd
What's this?
A ghost in the gallery
Great scot, the Martians are here
Why don't his paintings resemble the others
Oh the other ones near
No one was quite like Vermeer
Some paintings
Some paintings
Some paintings smell of turpentine
Some paintings smell of ???
Some paintings just pull the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Yeah, Vermeer finds a crack in the world
[Let's go]
[That's right, don't be shy about it, keeping the beat for us
Keep it warmed up, the atmosphere
???]
Back in the time of old Rembrandt
Back in the days of old Jan Steen
All them just masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Some painters smell of joy and sweat
Some painters plain look so fine
And some are sad and passionate
Ah but Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Some painters smell of the convent floor
Some painters smell of red wine
Some stand just like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Yeah, Vermeer takes a step out of line
Some painters smell of turpentine
Some smell of linseed oil
Some just pull the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Oh, Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Vermeer was eerie
Vermeer was strange
He had a more modern of color range
As if born in a more modern age
Say maybe only a hundred or so years ago
Back in the time of Rembrandt
Back in the time of Jan Steen
All of the masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Vermeer
Some painters smell of the convent floor
Some painters smell of red wine
Some stand like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Oh, Vermeer takes a step out of line
[Remember it's 10 degrees hotter up here than it is down there]
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All them Dutch masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
[There are art students in the audience
Don't worry, I was one, I ain't making fun of you, I was worse
I still am]
Some paintings smell of joy and sweat
Some paintings just look so fine
And some are sad and passionate
Yeah but Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Yeah, Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer was eerie, eerie and strange
Some paintings smell of the convent floor
Some paintings smell of red wine
Some stand just like this and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Yeah Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was eerie and strange
[Tommy]
Some paintings smell of turpentine
Some paintings smell of linseed oil
Some paintings just toll the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Yeah Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was eerie and strange
Paintings didn't seem like they were from the 1600s
Seemed like they were more from 1890 or 1910
They say he used one of those perspective machines
With ??? magnifying glass or something
Doesn't matter they're still eerie and strange
???
???
There's the Rembrandt
There's the Jan Steen
But next to them is the Vermeer
And the Vermeer sticks out and looks weird
Like it's got little alien flying saucer that landed there
??? Somehow sends a chill up your spine
Oh it's scary a little
What's going on there?
What's this? A ghost in the gallery?
Great Scott, the Martians are here
Why don't these paintings resemble the others?
The other one's near
It's cause no one was like Vermeer
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like ??? Vermeer
[But don't just stand there
If you're not going to dance
At least keep us the beat if you don't mind
I realize it's early in the night to ask requests of you
But I can't stand you just standing there
What are you going to do there?
You see it warms up the atmosphere with that beat
Ah yeah, it's better
Otherwise I would think you came for a concert
And truth ???
I hate the word 'concert'
I can't stand it
People just ???
Like they got the ??? or something]
Some paintings smell of the convent floor
Some paintings smell of red wine
Some stand like this and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Yeah Vermeer takes a step out of line
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was strange
[Tommy
That's Tommy of course by the drums]
Some paintings smell of joy and sweat
Some paintings plain look so fine
And some are sad and passionate
But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Yeah, Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was eerie and strange
No one was like Vermeer
[??? Beat
???
???]
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
??? Paintings
???
???
???
Some paintings smell of joy and sweat
Some paintings just look so fine
And some are sad and passionate
But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
A chill up your spine
Vermeer was eerie
Vermeer was strange
Some paintings smell of the convent floor
Some paintings smell of red wine
Some stand like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Takes a step out of line
Vermeer ???
Eerie and strange
Some paintings smell of turpentine
Some paintings smell of linseed oil
And some just pull the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Finds a crack in the world
Vermeer
Back in the time of Rembrandt
Back in the days of old Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Some paintings smell of the convent floor
Some paintings smell of wine
Some paintings stand like this and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Takes a step out of line
Vermeer's paintings were just plain strange
Merely strange
[Hello everybody
Tommy Larkins on drums ???]
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
[???]
Some men smell of joy and sweat
Some can't explain what's so fine
And some are sad and vanishing
Ah but Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
A chill up your spine
Vermeer was nearly
Nearly insane
Some even smell of the convent floor
Some even smell of red wine
Some stand just like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
A step out of line
Vermeer was nearly
Nearly insane
[Tommy]
Some even smell of turpentine
Some even smell of cigars
Some just pull the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
A crack in the world
Vermeer was nearly
Nearly insane
Some even smell of joy
Some even smell of sweat
Some even smell of cigars
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
A crack in the world
Vermeer was nearly
Nearly insane
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
[Dutch you know]
But no one was like Vermeer
Some painters smell of joy and sweat
Some painters plain look fine
And some are sad and passionate
But Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Yeah Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
Yeah Vermeer sends a chill up your spine
He's just eerie
Perspective was strange
He had a more modern color range
As if born in the more modern age
Say maybe like 150 years ago
What's this ghost in the art gallery?
Great scot, what is the ??? in here?
Why don't these little paintings resemble the others?
All the other ones near, oh no one
[Look back then you'd take a Van ??? there
It would be about
A ???
It would be about the same size
Rembrant's Night Watchmen
Would have been, look at that, with the four laid out pictures there
It would have been about as tall as where the black comes up
It would have been about a whole panel almost
About two thirds of a panel
That's how big the Night Watchmen is
And then you see a man standing
He's about a little 16 by 12 inch
It's got like a checkerboard floor
And it's got a little fruit bowl
And with the orange there's a little green
A little dark
A little paintbrush or a pink dot
Like ones like one of those little ones
Skinny ones
Hair paintbrush like dot go point
Oooh Vermeer]
Some painters smell of the convent floor
Some painters smell of wine
Some stand like this, and bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Vermeer takes a step out of line
Vermeer was eerie
Vermeer was strange
He had a more modern color range
As if born in a more modern age
Some painters smell of turpentine
Some painters smell of lazy earl [[seriously that's what it sounds like]]
Some painters just pull the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Yeah Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Vermeer, a crack in the world, in the world
[[The song basically stops here but he continues talking - mostly off mic]]
[Ladies and gentlemen, tell us about Jan Vermeer
???
If anyone out there ???
Same noise, see that?
Better do a sound check
???
???
???
Jan Vermeer
Jan Vermeer was a teenager
???
He studies well enough
???
???
Hat squashed cylindrical hat
That was not only ???
Portrait
When you see
A woman who looks like that
That I don't know much
No, I don't think so
But yeah so
???]
[So almost no one would like Vermeer]
Summer feeling in the summertime
Summer feeling, the feeling of the summer's gone
The end of the summer
[That's Tommy Larkins on the drums
And on Rhythm guitar, that's me, Jonathan Richman]
Back in the days of Rembrandt
Back in the time of old Jan Steen
All of them masters of shadow and light
But no one was like Vermeer
Some paintings smell of the convent floor
Some paintings smell of red wine
Some stand like this
And bar the door
But Vermeer takes a step out of line
Takes a step out of line
Takes a step out of line
Vermeer was eerie
Was strange
Some paintings smell of turpentine
Some paintings smell of linseed oil
Some painting just toll the party line
But Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Vermeer finds a crack in the world
Vermeer was eerie
Vermeer was strange
He had more modern colour range
As if born in a more modern age
No one was like Vermeer
Home | Song Index | Recordings Index | Buying Guide | Lists | Changes