Frankie And Johnnie (11-09-38) - Ethel Waters

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts

Boy, how they could love!

Swore to be true to each other

True as the stars above!

'Cause he was her man

But he done her wrong!

One night Frankie happened to pass by the hotel;

Just casually glanced into a window so high

And who did she see but her lovin' man

Lovin' up old Nellie Bligh!

She caught her man

Doin' her wrong!

Well, she went round the corner to her favourite pawn shop;

This time she didn’t go there for fun!

'Cause when she left, underneath her long red kimono

She was totin' a forty-four gun!

She was gunnin' for her man

Who was doin' her wrong!

Then back Frankie dashed to that hotel

Started yankin' the bell!

She said, «Stand back, you madam and floozies

Or I’ll blow each and every one of you straight to hell!

I want my man

Who’s done me wrong!»

Johnnie, in panic, mounted the staircase

Screamin', «Oh Frankie, don’t shoot!»

Three times she pulled a trigger on a forty-four gun

The gun went, «Root-toot-toot!»

She nailed her man

Who’d done her wrong!

So they put her away in a dungeon

Way up in a dark dingy cell

In the south east corner of a jail

Where the wind seemed to blow straight from hell!

For killin' her man

Who done her wrong!

But the day Frankie mounted the scaffold

She was just as calm as any gal could be!

And raising her eyes to heaven she cried

«Lord, I’m comin' to thee!

I’m sorry I killed my man

Who done me wrong!»

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts

Boy, how they could love!

Swore to be true to each other