Chicken Skin Music

(traditional)
(c) - (f) - (g) - (am)

(c) and i went down to a big crap game,
'twas (f) certainly against my (c) will.
I lost every doggone nickel i had
But a (g) greenback dollar bill.
(c) forty dollar that laid on the floor
My (f) buddy's point was (c) nine
Well, the (f) police they come in there
And (am) caught all of 'em
But (c) i (g) got (c) mine.

I got mine, let me tell ya
(f) i got (c) mine.
I grabbed that money
Out the back door (g) i went flying
Well, (c) ever since the big crap game
I've been (f) livin' on chicken and (c) wine.
I'm the (f) leader of so (am) ciety
Since (c) i (g) got (c) mine.

I know a barber shop
It's a way cross town
Down on norfolk street
It's the only place on a saturday night
That us gamblers gets to meet
Some comes for a haircut
And others come for a scrap
And when you see me and my buddies up there, man
We means to shoot some crap
Hollering: "seven, eleven, won't you come, come, come!!!
If you don't seven, eleven them
You're done, done, done"
If i see the police before he sees me
I'm gonna run, run, run
I'm the leader of society
Since i got mine

Well, i went down to my best girl's house
The hour was just about nine
I wasn't dressed up like henry ford
But i was feeling just as fine
I caught her sitting on another man's knee
And i didn't like that sign
Well, i told them what i thought about it, boys
And i got mine

I got mine, i got mine
I grabbed my hat and through the window
I went flying
I ran as fast as i could run
But i didn't get there in time
Because the rascal grabbed a shotgun, lord
And i got mine

(huddie ledbetter/alan lomax)
(g7) - (c7) - (g) - (d7)

(g7) me and my wife went all over town
And everywhere we went people turned us down
Lord, in a (c7) bourgeois town
It's a (g) bourgeois town
I got the (d7) bourgeois blues
Gonna spread the news all a- (g) round

Home of the brave, land of the free
I don't wanna be mistreated by no bourgeoisie
Lord, in a bourgeois town
Uhm, the bourgeois town
I got the bourgeois blues
Gonna spread the news all around

Well, me and my wife we were standing upstairs
We heard the white man say

(ben e. king/jerry leiber/mike stoller)
(g) - (em) - (c) - (d7) - (am)

(g) when the night is come and the (em) land is dark
And the (c) moon is the (d7) only light we'll (g) see
I won't be afraid, (em) i won't be afraid
Just as (c) long as you (d7) stand by (g) me
(g) stand by me, (em) stand by me, (am)sta (d7) nd by (g) me
Won't you (g) stand by me
Oh woo oh, (em) stand by me, (am) stand by (d7) me (g)

And when the sky that we look upon
Should crumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't be afraid, i won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Stand by me
Oh woo oh, you oughta stand by me, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
Oh woo oh, stand by me

(alfred reed)/(traditional)
(g) - (c) - (d)

(g) when a fellow has the blues and feels discouraged
And there's (c) nothing else but trouble all his (g) life
When he's always grumbled at and never happy
Living with a scolding, aggravating (d) wife
If he's (g) sick and tired of life and takes to drinking
Do not pass him by, don't greet him with a (c) frown
Do not fail to lend a hand and try to (g) help him
Always lift him up and (d) never knock him (c) down (g)

If he stays out late at night because he's worried
And because his home is not what it should be
Have a smile for him whenever you should meet him
It would help him just the right way, don't you see
If he gambles when he's in the town or city
Tell him what he ought to do to gain the crown
Lend a hand and do not fail to show him pity
Always lift him up and never knock him down

If he cannot pay his debts and feels disgusted
If he's blue and doesn't have a word to say
Let him know you are his friend who can be trusted
It would cheer this lonely fellow on his way
If he finds it hard for him to keep his family
Let a kind word greet his ear when he's around
Don't say anything at all to make against him
Always lift him up and never knock him down

If he has no friends and everyone's against him
If he's failed at everything that he has tried
Try to lift his load, to help to bear his burden
Let him know that you are walking by his side
And if he feels that all is lost, and he is falling
Try to place that poor man's feet on solid ground
Just remember he's some mother's precious darling
Always lift him up and never knock him down
Always lift him up and never knock him down