Words & Music by Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen, 1941
Recorded by Rosemary Clooney, 1952 (#17)
Written for a film called Hot Nocturne, this song became so popular that the movie
was re-titled Blues in the Night
[A]My mama done tol' me, when I was in kneepants,
My mama done tol' me, "S[A7]on,
A wo[D7]man'll sweet talk, and give ya the big eye,
But w[B7]hen the s[E7]weet talkin's d[A]one,
A wom[E7]an's a two-face, a[Am7] worrisome thing who'll l[E7]eave ya t' sing
The bl[A]ues [D9] in the ni[A]ght."
Refrain:
[A7]Now the rain's a-fallin', h[E7]ear the t[Am7]rain a-[D7]callin',
"W[A]hoo-ee." (My mama done tol' me,)
Hea[D9]r that lonesome whistle [Dm6]blowin' 'cross the t[E7]restle,
"W[A]hoo-ee." (My mama done tol' me.)
A w[E7]hoo-ee-duh whoo-ee,
Ol' c[B7]lickety clack's a-ec[E7]hoin' back the bl[A]ues [D9] in the n[A]ight.
The evening [D9]breeze'll start the [Dm6]trees to cryin'
[E7]And the m[C7]oon'll hide it's l[B+]ight when[F#7-5] you get [Am6]the bl[B7]ues [E7]in the ni[Dm6]ght;[E7]
Ta[D9]ke my word, the mockingb[Dm6]ird'll s[E7]ing the s[C7]addest kind of so[B+]ng,
He[F#m7-5] knows things are [Am6]wrong, and he'[B7]s right.[E7][Dm6][Gm6][E7]
From Natchez to Mobile, from Memphis to Saint Joe,
Wherever the four winds blow;
I've been in some big towns and heard me some big talk,
But there is one thing I know:
A woman's a two-face, a worrisome thing who'll leave ya t' sing
The blues in the night.
Refrain:
Coda:
[A]Oooo - oooo - o[A7]ooo, oo[B7]oo - oooo - o[E7]ooo,
My m[B7]ama was right, there's[E7sus4] blues in the n[A]ight.
Recorded by Rosemary Clooney, 1952 (#17)
Written for a film called Hot Nocturne, this song became so popular that the movie
was re-titled Blues in the Night
[A]My mama done tol' me, when I was in kneepants,
My mama done tol' me, "S[A7]on,
A wo[D7]man'll sweet talk, and give ya the big eye,
But w[B7]hen the s[E7]weet talkin's d[A]one,
A wom[E7]an's a two-face, a[Am7] worrisome thing who'll l[E7]eave ya t' sing
The bl[A]ues [D9] in the ni[A]ght."
Refrain:
[A7]Now the rain's a-fallin', h[E7]ear the t[Am7]rain a-[D7]callin',
"W[A]hoo-ee." (My mama done tol' me,)
Hea[D9]r that lonesome whistle [Dm6]blowin' 'cross the t[E7]restle,
"W[A]hoo-ee." (My mama done tol' me.)
A w[E7]hoo-ee-duh whoo-ee,
Ol' c[B7]lickety clack's a-ec[E7]hoin' back the bl[A]ues [D9] in the n[A]ight.
The evening [D9]breeze'll start the [Dm6]trees to cryin'
[E7]And the m[C7]oon'll hide it's l[B+]ight when[F#7-5] you get [Am6]the bl[B7]ues [E7]in the ni[Dm6]ght;[E7]
Ta[D9]ke my word, the mockingb[Dm6]ird'll s[E7]ing the s[C7]addest kind of so[B+]ng,
He[F#m7-5] knows things are [Am6]wrong, and he'[B7]s right.[E7][Dm6][Gm6][E7]
From Natchez to Mobile, from Memphis to Saint Joe,
Wherever the four winds blow;
I've been in some big towns and heard me some big talk,
But there is one thing I know:
A woman's a two-face, a worrisome thing who'll leave ya t' sing
The blues in the night.
Refrain:
Coda:
[A]Oooo - oooo - o[A7]ooo, oo[B7]oo - oooo - o[E7]ooo,
My m[B7]ama was right, there's[E7sus4] blues in the n[A]ight.
