Frankie And Johnny
Words & Music:
The Leighton Brothers & Ren Shields (1912)
The April 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar has an
arrangement by David Hodge. These
words are as close to the original as possible. Simple arrangement is on top, original on bottom.
C
C
Cdim C Cdim C Cdim C Caug
Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts. Oh, Lordy, how they could love!
F C
F
Caug F Caug F
Adim7 C
Swore to be true to each other, true as the stars were above.
C G7 C
C C#dim Cdim G Adim7
G7/B
Gaug
C Cdim C
Cdim
He was--- her-- man-------, but he done her wrong.
Frankie & Johnny went walking, Johnny in his brand-new suit.
"Oh, good Lord," said Frankie, "Don't my Johnny look cute?"
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Johnny said "I've got to leave you, I won't be gone very long
Don't wait up for me, honey, or worry none while I'm gone."
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Frankie went down to the corner, to get a bucket of beer,
She said to the old bartender, "Has my lovin' man, Johnny been here?"
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
"Well, I ain't gonna tell you a story, I ain't gonna tell you a lie.
Your Johnny left here an hour ago with that lowdown Nelly Bly."
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Frankie went lookin' for Johnny, she didn't do it for fun
She sneaked right up behind the Sheriff, and pinched his forty four gun
He was her man and he was doin' her wrong
Frankie got off at South 12th Street & looked up in the window so high.
And there she saw her Johnny, hugging that old Nelly Bly.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Frankie pulled out her six-shooter and pulled out that old forty-four.
Her gun went rooty-toot-toot-toot and Johnny fell down on the floor.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
"Oh, roll me over easy, roll me over so slow.
"Oh, roll me over easy, for the bullets, they hurt me so.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Frankie got down on her knees and took Johnny into her lap.
She started to hug and to kiss him, but there was no bringing him back.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
"Oh, get me a thousand policemen who'll throw me then into their cell.
ÔCause I've gone and shot my sweet Johnny. I know I'm going to Hell."
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
So, roll out your rubber-tired carriage. Roll out your old-time hack.
There's twelve men goin' to the graveyard and eleven coming back.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
This story got no moral, this story got no end.
It only goes to show you, that there ain't no good in men.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.
Chords:
C = x 3 5 5 5 x Cdim = x 3 4 5 4 x Caug = x 3 2 1 1 x
Adim7 = x 0 1 2 1 2 C#dim = x 4 5 6 5 x Gaug = 3 3 3 4 4 3