Leaving on a Jet Plane to Grease
In 1973 our teacher, Mr Burton, started giving us guitar lessons. We all had a go, some better then others. It was fun. And after a few lessons of picking out Skip to My Lou we then progressed to our first real song. Leaving On a Jet Plane. It’s amazing how much can be done with just three chords. We were pop stars.
So that was my start at 8 years old. Moving swiftly on, when I was 10 my parents bought me an Electric guitar for Xmas. It was awful and we took it back in January and traded it in for a wonderful 1963 Hofner Galaxie. This wasn’t vintage then, it was second hand. I’ve still got it and it’s worth a great deal more than the £100 my mother paid for it.
I continued learning and trying to play anything I liked, mostly Beatles. Now I was teaching myself and had hit a bump. My fingers just weren’t big enough to play bar chords.
In 1978, Grease hit my world and I immediately bought the sheet music. It was all bar chords. I would just have to make those fingers stretch. Lo and behold I was there. My first song played with bar chords. Grease.
Stuart
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’
He’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
So many times I’ve played around
I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing
Ev’ry place I go, I’ll think of you
Ev’ry song I sing, I’ll sing for you
When I come back, I’ll bring your wedding ring
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
I’ll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won’t have to leave alone
About the times, I won’t have to say
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go