Mack the Knife Chords & Lyrics by Bobby Darin
Mack the Knife
guitar chords lyrics
This is a slight reinterpretation of dQQm's tab on UG in addition to
Mahayana's tab here: http://jazzguitar.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=comping&
action=display&thread=419&page=1.
Chords (remember to swing 'em!):
Bb (x 1 3 3 3 1)
Cm (x 3 5 5 4 3)
Cm7(x 3 5 3 4 3)
Gm (3 5 5 3 3 3), although I like playing it without the root
F#7 (2 4 2 3 3 3), although I often skip the top two strings
F7 (1 3 1 2 1 1) OR (x 3 3 2 4 x) This second chord probably isn't F7 for
all I know, but it allows you to to throw in one of these (x 3 3 0 x x)after
it.
I chose these chord shapes because they are easy to move. Starting with the
third verse (and throughout the rest of the song), each verse requires you
to shift up a half step. This is how the song is performed on the album
version that I have (from a V/A collection called "Absolute Unforgettable")
and on the handful of live performances on YouTube.
So, with lyrics:
Bb Cm Cm7
Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
F7 Bb
And he shows them pearly whites
Gm Cm Cm7
Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe
F7 Bb
And he keeps it out of sight.
Bb Cm Cm7
Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe
F7 Bb
Scarlet billows start to spread
Gm Cm Cm7
Fancy gloves, though, wears old MacHeath, babe
F7 Bb F#7 (Transition to verse 3)
So there's never, never a trace of red.
From here on out, each verse is one half step higher than the previous one.
Simply shift everything up one fret and keep on swingin'! F#7 (or whatever
the chord may be, depending on where you are in the song) should provide a
comfortable transition into the next verse. For those interested in the big
picture, the song begins in Bb and ends in Eb.
Here are the rest of the lyrics:
Now on the sidewalk, Sunday mornin'
Lies a body just oozin' life
And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
There's a tugboat down by the river dontcha know
Where a cement bag's just a'droopin' on down
Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten, old Macky's back in town.
Louie Miller, he disappeared, babe
After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash
And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor
Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?
Now Jenny Diver, oh Sukey Tawdry
Oh Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Oh, the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky's back in town.
I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry
Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Macky's back in town.
Look out old Macky is back!!
Comments, suggestions, and corrections are welcome.
