Frankie and Johnny
Traditional American ballad · pub. 1912 · public domain
The famous refrain carries the 4-to-4-minor gut punch — the borrowed chord doing narrative work.
KeyCDbDEbEFF#GAbABbBbarrelhouse strut
Verse 1
CFrankie and Johnny were C7lovers —
Foh Lordy, Fmhow they could Clove;
they swore to be true to each E7other,
A7true as the stars aD7bove —
he was her Cman, G7but he done her Cwrong
Verse 2
CFrankie went down to the C7corner
Fjust for a Fmbucket of Cbeer,
she said 'Mister bartender E7tell me,
A7has my loving Johnny been D7here? —
he is my Cman, G7he wouldn't do me Cwrong'
The gut-punch bar
Play this on the neck in Key Change Lab →