Back

Frankie And Johnny Tab

by Burl Ives


Van Morrison! Interested?  Hundreds of Guitar Videos
See how to play your favourite riffs, solos
by watching hundreds of guitar video lessons



Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts Lordy, how they could love
                                                       
Swore to be true to each other Yeah, true to the skies above
                                    
He was her man, wouldn't do her no wrong

  
And Frankie and Johnny went walkin' And Johnny had on a new suit
                                                                                         
                                                                          
Yeah, Frankie spent one-hundred dollar notes  Just to make her man look cute
                                       
He was her man, he wouldn't do her no wrong

    
Frankie went over to the barroom Stopped for a bottle of beer
                                                                                         
                                                              
Said to the old bartender man "Has my lover Johnny man been here?"
                                             
"He was my man, Lord, but he'd been doin' me wrong, so wrong."

        
Yeah, Frankie looked over the transom door  And there to her great surprise
                                                      
There sat her lover man Johnny  Makin' love to Nellie Bly
                                      
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong

        
Well, Frankie lifted up her kimono dress  And she drew (ladaladalala) out a little .44
     
She shot once, twice, three times (three times) she shot him  And through that hardwood
  
door
                                                                          
Yeah, she shot her man (yeah he was her man) Well, but he been doin' her wrong yeah


He said," roll me over so careful ah  Roll me over so slow,
                                                                 
Oh roll me off to my left hand side,  Because your bullet hurt me so,
                                      
I was your man, but I been doin' you wrong."

 (Instrumental & trombone & guitar solo)

Well, they sent for Frankie's mother  Come down to Huddie's saloon
To see what's the matter with her boy  She come down, Frankie looked up at her
 Here what she said:

  
She said, "Oh Mrs. Johnson, oh forgive me please
                                                                
Well I killed your lovin' son, Johnny But I'm down on my bended knee
                                         
I shot your man, 'cause he was doin' me wrong ah'.


She said, "I'll forgive you Frankie,  She said, I'll forgive you not, not
                                                               
For killin' lovin' son Johnny,  He's the only support that I've got,
                                             
'Lord, you shot my man and he was doin' you wrong."


Well, the last time I seen Frankie  She was a-sittin' in a dungeon cell
                                                          
She would be there lonely, herself  With no one there to care
                                        
She shot her man, a-he'd been doin' her wrong, so wrong


Well, bring out the rubber tired (hearse) so long You gotta bring out your pony and trap
                                                                               
 
Yeah, they're gonna take Johnny, Johnny to the cemetery And he ain't never coming back
                                                
Well, he was her man Oh, but he been doin' her wrong, so wrong


Well, the story ain't got no moral, Lordy  But the story ain't got no end
                                                                   
Well, the story only goes to show  That there ain't no damn good in men!
                                                        
She shot her man (he was her man) But he was doin' her wrong