Summertime

(original version)

Words & Music:

Ira & George Gershwin & Dubose Heyward

From the opera "Porgy & Bess"

 

1. My original version (somewhat easier):

Am7    Bm7/A    Am7   Bm7/A  [2 beats each]

 

      Am7 Bm7/A [continue the intro vamp]

Summertime------and the living is easy.

         Dm7   Em7/D   Dm7  Em7/D          E7

Fish are jumping-------, and the cotton is high.

           Am7 Bm7/A [continue the intro vamp]

Oh, your daddy's rich, and your mama's good-looking.

    CM7          Am7   D7    G9sus4    [back to original intro vamp]

So, hush, little baby, don't you----cry.

 

One of these mornings, you're going to rise up singing,

Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky.

But until that morning there's a-nothing can harm you

With Daddy and Mammy standing by.

 

 

2.  Doug French's corrected version (truer to the original):

 

INTRO VAMP:  Dm6  A7 [2 beats each, repeat as you will end on Dm6]

 

A+    Dm6  A7  Dm6      A7        Dm6  A7  Dm6

Summertime------and the living is ea---sy.

A7   Dm6 Gm7  Bb6  Gm7         BbM7   G#dim A  E7(#9)  A  Am6

Fish are jumping-----, and the cotton is--- high.

A7-5     Dm6     A7  Dm6        A7         Dm6 A7  Dm6

Oh, your daddy's rich, and your ma is good-looking.

G7  F            Dm    G     Gm7    Dm    Dm#7

So, hush, little baby, don't you----cry.

 

One of these mornings, you're going to rise up singing,

Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky.

But until that morning there's a-nothing can harm you

With Daddy and Mammy standing by.

 

CHORDS:

A+ = x 0 3 2 2 1 or 5 4 3 2 2 x           Am6 = 5 x 4 5 5 x

Dm6 = x x 0 2 0 1                         BbM7 = 6 x 7 7 6 x

Bb6 = x 1 3 3 3 3 or 10 10 12 10 11 10

G#dim = 4 5 6 4 x x or x 11 12 13 12 x    E7(#9) = 0 2 0 1 3 3 or x 7 6 7 8 x

A7-5 = 5 x 5 6 4 x or x 0 1 0 2 x         Dm#7 = x 5 7 6 6 5 or x x 0 2 2 1





Back to the Songbook Index.

This page's content is copyrighted ©1977-2009 by Kristin C. Hall. Please drop me a line (via "dink (at) media (dot) mit (dot) edu") if you wish to use it or link to it or correct it! Please send comments, suggestions, fixes and general mischievious mayhem to the web diva via the above email address. (sorry, spambots have forced me to remove my automatic mail link.) Many thanks...and enjoy!

Note to lawyers and any other litigious-minded folk:
I am not trying to screw anyone out of royalties, etc. I have posted these only as a helpful resources for teachers, camp counselors and people who like to "sing along with Mitch", if you will. If you do not want your work posted to these pages, please just email me (via "dink (at) media (dot) mit (dot) edu") and I shall remove it.