Frankie and Johnny lyrics

Frankie and Johnny were lovers

Man, how those two cats could love

They promised to dig one another

Long as stars remained above

He was her mate

But he wouldn’t fly straight

He was a cat that was lazy

Thinking of work made him frown

Man, she had a bank that was crazy

And his loans were not turned down

She was his fool

And daddy, oh, he played it real cool

        What a drag...

They sashayed down to the ballroom

A place where you go chaperoned

Strictly a come as you are room

And the clientele were stoned

Everyone was juiced

As you may have deduced

The evening was sultry and torrid

And Frankie was limp from the heat

She planted a kiss on his forehead

And the she beat a quick retreat

For as you might suppose

She had to powder her nose.

Now enter a doll named Anellie

A weirdie the hipster would boast?

Man poets like Byron or Shelley

Would have dubbed this chick the most

Jack this gal came on

Sort of like a female Don Juan

        Oh, oh

Girls, girls, ladies!

You never saw such a tangle

That Frankie sure fought for her gent

She threw punches from every angle

Man, it looked like the main event

Someone rang a bell

But daddy-o they couldn’t save Nell

Frankie had whipped out a pistol

And everyone made for the door

She started busting the crystal

Jack she made that cannon roar

        Miss

And when she fired the last shot

Did Johnny hear?

He did not

She was such a lady

Man, how that Frankie did suffer

Her tears were falling like rain

The sheriff who came in to cuff her

Used the cuffs with the platinum chain

And nobody knew

Just who was taking in who

Now everyone bows when they pass her

And Frankie’s the toast of the town

That’s the moral is really a gasser

If he cheats simply shoot him down

He was her mate

But he wouldn’t fly straight

Here’s a thought for you to contemplate:

If you want to love, you gotta fly straight!

Any questions?

• Artist:Sammy Davis Jr.