One For My Baby (And One For The Road)

Words & Music:

Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen

 

Song Trellis gives us this insight on this standard:  "Chord changes for Harold Arlen's One For My Baby (And One For The Road). This tune has an unusual form: a 16 bar A section, a 16 bar B section which is the A section transposed up a major third, an 8 bar bridge (the C section) and then a final repeat of the 16 bar B section. An ABCB form."  Tab from Jumbo Jimbo's Song Archive.

 

D      D9 D     Am7            D  D9  D Dsus4 Am   Am7  D    D9  D   Am7

It's quarter to three; there's no one in the place ex---cept you and me,

    D    D9 D   Am7    D  D9 D Dsus4   Am  Am7  D   D9  D  Am7   D DM7 D7

So, set 'em up, Joe, I got a lit---tle sto---ry you oughta know.

 

       G             F7    G      F7  Em7   D    A7  G/B   B7

We're drinkin', my friend, to the end of a brief ep---i---sode.

        G   G/F#   Em7       G  G/F# G/B A7   D

Make it one for my baby and one more for the road.

  G           Dm6       G           Dm6   Am7 G        Dm6   G  Dm6

I got the routine; so, drop another nick - el in the machine;

   G            Dm6   G                  Am7  Dm6 G          Dm6  G GM7 G7 G6

I feel kind - a bad, wish you'd make the mu - sic pretty and sad.

 

       C         C9    C       C9  Am7     G    Am7  Edim    E7

Could tell you a lot, but it's not in the gen - tle - man's code,

            A7  Em7     A7       C  Em7 Edim Am7  G

So, make it one for my baby and one more for the road.

 

BRIDGE:

 Am7         C9          Am7                 D9

You'd never know it but buddy, I'm a kind of poet,

       G           GM7      G7

And I got a lot of things to say;

Am7           C9         C     C/B   Am7

And when I'm gloomy, you gotta listen to me

E7        Em7         A7

'Til it's all talked away.

 

      G           Dm6     G                  Dm6     Am7   G          Dm6 G Dm6

Well that's how it goes & Joe, I know you're gettin' pretty anxious to close;

     D             Dm6 G               Dm6  Am7 G           Dm6  G GM7 G7

So, thanks for the cheer, I hope you did - n't mind my bendin' your ear.

      C            C9    Am7     G/B    Am7    G    Am7 Edim   E7

This torch that I found must be drowned or it soon might ex - plode,

            A7  Em7     A7       C  Em7 Edim Am7  E7   F7  E7

So, make it one for my baby and one more for the road,

     A7   Edim  Am7   G#7   G   Am7  A7  D9 Am7 G

That long,     long        road.