Capo 4th Fret

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A SHORT NOTE:

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Pronounced "Zoo-ah-zan-thell-uh," Zooxanthellae is "a yellowish-brown symbiotic dinoflagellate present in large numbers in the cytoplasm of many marine invertebrates." Thrilling stuff and a sure winner at any hangman contest.

Zooxanthellae the song uses two different pronunciations, both unlike the official dictionary rendering:

"Zoo-an-uh-thell-eye"

"Zoo-an-uh-thell-ee," 

In the chorus, the second "zooxanthellae" of each phrase has an ending syllable that rhymes with the ending word of the next line. The first zooxanthellae is the opposite of the second.

So, for example:

Zooxanthellae (THELL-EYE)

Zooxanthellae (THELLY)

Queen's in the parlor

Hooking up the telly

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and

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Zooxanthellae (THELLY)

Zooxanthellae (THEL-EYE)

Not much to say,

Not much to tell

I've...

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It is not recommended you use the "correct" pronunciation, for two big reasons. First, you will find it will not roll off the tongue and will not rhyme with either "telly" or "I've." Second, and more importantly, that is not what happened in Long Island long ago. One shouldn't change history, no matter the reasoning. It's as blurry as the memory.

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            C               Am                 F                 G

She sits in the dive bar, New York

            C               Am                 F                 G
The ciggie smoke could make your eyes choke

            C               Am                 F                 G
They're playing game after game of hangman

            C               Am                 F                 G
No matter who's guessing, she wins again

            C               Am                 F                 G
Because the word is so long and unknown

            C               Am                 F                 G
And the noose, oh how it's gone and grown

            C               Am         F            G
The neck is about to break

    C               Am         F            G
There's just one more mistake

F
Zooxanthellae

G
Zooxanthellae

C
Queen's in the parlor

Am
Hooking up the telly

F
Zooxanthellae

G
Zooxanthellae

C
Not much to say

Am
Not much to tell

F
I've seen the faces
G
Move those bets
C
As she puts out

Am
That cigarette

F
And watch the table
G
Leggings break
C
The hatter says
Am
“There's some mistake”
F          G
But no, no

               C        Am
Let the hangman ride

            C               Am                 F                 G
She left Long Island long ago

              C               Am                 F                 G
And the earnings disappeared from those hangman games

               C                     Am                 F                 G
But it wasn't about winning anything

                C               Am                 F                 G
Just to make enough memories to let the old heart sing

            C               Am                 F                 G
And “one more round for the cheap seats”
She loved

            C               Am                 F                 G
And oh the words rolled on her tongue
Fitting like a glove

            C               Am                 F                 G
And every love story's just a ghost story, still

            C               Am                 F                 G
She wishes she had more time to kill

F
Zooxanthellae

G
Zooxanthellae

C
Queen's in the parlor

Am
Hooking up the telly

F
Zooxanthellae

G
Zooxanthellae

C
Not much to say

Am
Not much to tell

F
I've seen the faces
G
Move those bets
C
As she puts out

Am
That cigarette

F
And watch the table
G
Leggings break
C
The hatter says
Am
“There's some mistake”
F          G
But no, no

                                       C        Am
Let the hangman ride

F               G

No no no no

                                       C        Am
Let the hangman ride

F              G
Oh no no no no

                                       C        Am
Let the hangman ride

F              G
Oh no no no no

                                       C        Am
Let the hangman ride