To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8206
9 messages

Lyr Req: Frankie and Johnny (Nick Nichols)

20 Dec 98 - 09:12 PM (#50373)
Subject: frankie and Johnny
From: rasta

looking for chourous to Frankie and Johnnyl---well Im goin away im going t stay never comming home etc etc also -way out there the way seeger did that is Pete seeger


20 Dec 98 - 09:24 PM (#50375)
Subject: RE: frankie and Johnny
From:

Your gonna miss me honey in the days to come, when the winter winds begin to blow, the sun is coming up,


20 Dec 98 - 09:31 PM (#50378)
Subject: frankie and Johnny
From: rasta

looking for chourous to Frankie and Johnnyl---well Im goin away im going t stay never comming home etc etc also -way out there the way seeger did that is Pete seeger


20 Dec 98 - 10:12 PM (#50389)
Subject: Lyr Add: LEAVING HOME / FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
From: Benson

This is what I found in the database here...

LEAVING HOME (Charlie Poole)

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts; they had a quarrel one day,
Johnny vowed he'd leave her; he said he was going away,
Never coming home, going away to roam.
Frankie she begged and pleaded, my love Johnny, please stay,
Now, oh, my honey, I've done you wrong, but please don't go away;
Then Johnny sighed while Frankie cried,

cho: Oh, I'm going away, I'm a-going to stay, and never coming home
Gonna miss me, honey, in the days to come,
When the winter wind s begin to blow, the ground is covered up,
And when you think of the way
You're gonna wish me back, your loving man,
You're gonna miss me honey in the day they say's to come.

Frankie done said to her Johnny, "Now your hour done come"
'Cause underneath her silk kimona she drew her 44 gun
These love affairs are hard to bear
Johnny he fled down the stairway, my love Frankie, don't shoot,
Frankie done aimed the 44 while the gun went rooty-toot-toot,
As Johnny fell, then Frankie yelled,

cho:

Send for your rubber-tired hearses, send for your rubber-tired hacks,
Carry old Johnny to the graveyard, I 've shot him in the back
With a great big gun, as the preacher begun.
Send for some policemen to take me right away,
Lock me down in the dungeon cell and throw the key away,
My Johnny's dead, because he said...

cho:

From the New Lost City Ramblers
Note: A Charlie Poole rewrite of a popular song.
DT #316
Laws I3
@murder @death filename[ FRANJON3


21 Dec 98 - 03:02 AM (#50417)
Subject: RE: frankie and Johnny
From:

There are as many variations of Frankie and Johnny
as there are opinions of what 'Folk Music' really is!


21 Dec 98 - 06:06 AM (#50425)
Subject: Lyr Add: FRANKIE AND ALBERT
From: dwditty

This is a composite version, with some original lyrics thrown in. There seem to be as many versions of the melody as there are of the lyrics. This one is loosely based on a version by Dave Van Ronk. My suggestion is to learn your own way of playing the song, then listen to as many versions as you can and put together your own.

FRANKIE & ALBERT

Frankie was a woman, everybody knows,
Spent about a hundred dollars on Albert's suit of clothes.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

CHORUS: He gives me candy in the morning, candy most every night.
Ain't nobody's candy can do the job alright.

Frankie & Albert went out walking, Albert in his brand new suit.
Frankie cried: “Oh, Lordy! Don't my Albert Dean look cute?”
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

Albert said: “Babe, I've got to leave you, but I won't be gone too long.
Don't wait up for me, honey, or worry while I'm gone.”
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

At 10 o'clock Frankie was awaiting; at 11 she was worried too,
Wonderin' where her Albert was, what he's doing, and with who.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

Frankie went down to the bar room, got herself a bucket of beer,
Said to the fat old bartender: “Has my Albert Dean been here?
He’s my man, but he’s doin’ me wrong.”

The bartender said: “Miss Frankie, I cannot tell you no lie.
I saw your man about an hour ago with a gal named Nellie Bly.
He’s your man, but he’s doin’ you wrong.”

Frankie cried: “Have mercy! Oh Lordy, what have I done?
I gave my love to Albert; he took my heart and run.
He was my man, but he done me wrong.”

Frankie went down to 12th street; she wasn't going there for fun.
Underneath her kimono she wore Albert's gatling gun.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

Frankie went to the back door, peeked through the transom so high.
There she saw her Albert loving up on Nellie Bly.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

She went on round to the front door; there she rang the bell.
She said: “Stand aside, you floozy; I'm gonna blow the man clean to hell.
He’s my man, but he’s doin’ me wrong.”

Albert fell to his knees; she said: “Praying won't do you no good.
Rooty-toot-toot! She started to shoot and he fell like a stick of wood.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

She shot him one time on the right side; down on the floor he fell.
She shot him again on the left side; there's a new man down in hell.
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

He said: “Roll me over easy, boys; roll me over slow.
Roll me over easy ‘cause my wounds they hurt me so.”
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

Frankie walked out on Main Street, as far as she could see.
All she could hear was a three-string bow playing “Nearer My God to Thee.”
He was her man, but he done her wrong.

Dark was the night; cold was on the ground.
The last words I heard Frankie say: "I done lay that bastard down."
He was her man, and he done her wrong.
He was her man; he done her wrong.
He was her man; now he's gone.


21 Dec 98 - 07:59 AM (#50431)
Subject: Lyr Add: FRANKIE AND JOHNNY (Guy Lombardo)
From: Ralph Butts

There are a zillion versions. John and Alan Lomax in "Folk Song USA" recount the purported incident and then give a 17-verse version of "Frankie and Albert". Two of the stanzas have a different refrain, which is:

    Poor boy (or gal), poor boy,
    Poor boy, poor boy,
    Done gone, done gone,
    Done gone, done gone.

I always liked the sweetened-up, shortened-up Guy Lombardo version. It doesn't take as long to sing, and it's so different that you don't get criticized for "missing a word in the third verse."

......Tiger

Frankie And Johnny
Guy Lombardo version

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts,
And oh, what a couple in love,
Frankie was loyal to Johnny,
Just as true as the stars above,
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.

Frankie went down to the drug store,
Some ice cream, she wanted to buy,
And the soda jerk told her that Johnny
Was makin' love to Nellie Bly...
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.

Now, Frankie's dad was a policeman,
So she stole his old .44 gun,
And then back to the drug store she beat it,
Just as fast as she could run,
After the man who was doin' her wrong.

And Frankie peeked in on the party,
She got a surprise when she saw,
Nellie and Johnny were makin' love,
And sippin' soda through a straw;
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.

So Frankie flew into a tantrum,
Then she whipped out that long .44,
And, roo-ta-ti-toot, that gal she did shoot,
Through that hardwood swingin' door,
She shot her man, 'cause he was doin' her wrong.

So bring on your crepe and your flowers,
And bring on your rubber-tired hack,
'Cause there's eight men to go to the graveyard,
But only seven are comin' back.
She got her man, 'cause he was doin' her wrong.

So this is the end of my story,
And this is the end of my song.
Frankie is down in the jailhouse,
And she cries the whole night long:
"He was my man, but he done me wrong."


22 Jul 04 - 01:06 PM (#1231497)
Subject: RE: frankie and Johnny
From: GUEST,cjstanonis@yahoo.com

In desparate need of lyrics!!!!
I'm trying to locate lyrics to Nick Nichols' two versions of Frankie and Johnny. This is strictly for research purposes only. If anyone can help please let me know.


22 Jul 04 - 03:26 PM (#1231589)
Subject: RE: frankie and Johnny - Nick Nichols versions
From: GUEST

Frankie would NEVER go the "drug store" for "ice cream"!