Beale Street Blues

BEALE STREET BLUES
By: W. C. Handy
Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong
Key: Bb

-7*   -6  -6* 7 -6*  77* 7   -5   -6
I've seen the lights of gay Broad-way, 
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Old Mar-ket Street down by the Fris-co Bay, 
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I've strolled the Pra-do, 
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I've gam-bled on the Bourse; 

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The sev-en won-ders of the world I've seen, 
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And man-y are the pla-ces I have been, 
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Take my ad-vice, folks, 
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and see Beale Street first! 

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You'll see pret-ty browns in beau-ti-ful gowns, 
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You'll see tail-or-mades and hand-me-downs, 
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You'll meet hon-est men, 
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and pick-pock-ets skilled, 
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You'll find that bus-‘ness nev-er clos-es 
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'til some-bod-y gets killed! 

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If Beale Street could talk, 
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if Beale Street could talk, 
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Mar-ried men would have to 
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take their beds and walk, 
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Ex-cept one or two who nev-er drank booze, 
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And the blind man on the cor-ner 
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Who sings the Beale Street Blues!

Key: Eb

-7* -7* -7* -7* -7*  -6*-6*-6* -6* -6  -5* 
I'd rath-er be here than an-y place I know, 
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I'd rath-er be here than an-y place I know, 
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It's goin’ to take the ser-geant 
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for to make me go! 

 -7* -7* -7* -7* -7* -6*-6* -6* -6 -5*
Goin' to the riv-er, may-be by and bye, 
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Goin’ to the riv-er, 
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And there’s a rea-son why
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Be-cause the riv-er's wet, 
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and Beale Street's done gone dry!