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