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An imaginary story about a (divorced) woman who has a French teacher as a lodger. She also cleans at the school where he teaches. Eventually, they have a secret love affair.
lyrics
GC1 The Cleaner and the Teacher
ISRC # GBGHU1800001
Verse 1
C
The teacher sat in the big armchair
Am
He had a cup of tea and a large eclair
F
Passing the time with Mrs. C,
G
She was his land-lady.
Verse 2
C
They had spoken of many things
Am
Sharing secrets and their biscuits too
F
Revelations of, a minor kind
G
In the twilight of the afternoon.
Verse 3
C
They were guilty of hyperbole
Am
Massaging facts for a neat story
F
Tantalising tidbits in exchange for a laugh
G
Salacious inuendo for a start
Chorus
Am E F C
So the teacher and the cleaner
D7 G7 C G7
Passed the afternoon
Verse 4
C
She worked as a cleaner, at the school
Am
She swept up the mess, but she was no fool
F
She would have liked to learn, how to teach a class
G
That never came to pass.
Verse 5
C
It wasn’t the case, that she lacked the brains
Am
Without a doubt, she could have been trained.
F
Her expectations were nailed to the floor
G
Nobody thought she wanted more
Verse 6
C
And as she polished, the parquet floor
Am
She wondered what her life was for
F
She had a little crush on the burly man
G
Who taught French literature
Chorus
Am E F C
So the teacher and the cleaner
D7 G7 C G7
Passed the afternoon
Verse 7
C
He talked in French, she fiddled with her broach
Am
She’d had him for a trainer, or a rugby coach
F
She liked to hear his lessons from the coridor
G
She dug his sexy accent, as she swept the floor
Verse 8
C
She’d been divorced, for ever and a day
Am
Her love-life stuck in disarray
F
She kept herself in trim, in the gym
G
She hankered after him.
Verse 9
C
She bought a phrase book, she studied hard
Am
Bonjour Monsieur, Comment ca va?
F
He winked at her, and they both grinned
G7
That’s when she started to reel him in.
Chorus
Am E F C
So the teacher and the cleaner
D7 G7 C G7
Passed the afternoon
Verse 10
C
She chatted to the Head, if she came her way
Am
She liked to say “Hello” and pass the time of day
F
She mentioned that she’d started, learning French
G7
Parlez-vous francais, as she dusted down the bench.
Verse 11
C
At break she sat beside her burly man
Am
She drank a little coffee, he had a can
F
Underneath the table, he stroked her thigh
G7
Ecstasy in secret; made her wanna cry.
Verse 12
C
She finished her shift, knocked on his door
Am
Their steps rang out on the parquet floor
F
They kept their bodies, a pace apart
G7
She felt a little flutter, in her heart
Chorus
Am E F C
Voulez-vous, se coucher avec moi
D7 G7 C
After school this afternoon
credits
released January 18, 2018
Words, lyrics, music, orchestration for DAW, and performance of vocal, guitar, and digital piano flute & bass voicing, all by John Lewis Smith of Lewis Music
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