[lit-ideas] "He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong"
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:32:02 EDT
In a message dated 10/12/2004 9:20:39 AM Eastern Standard Time,
phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
J.L. Speranza wrote:
"Actually, it took me to read the whole lyrics to find who had done
wrong to who."
I append it below. Since Enns was reminded of a differant song.
Note the implicature on verse 3, "but": "He was her man, _but_ he..." Note
also the progressive tense, "he was doing her wrong" -- it wasn't just a simple
case of deceiving, but a deceiving over time -- repeated.
The coda is full of innuendo. The only evidence Frankie had for Johnny (her
'man' +> faithful man) was 'doin' her wrong' is that some bartender saw
Johnnie with a woman called Nelly, surnamed Blye.
There must be more to doing wrong to a person than that, but the balladeer
never says, until you reach the stanza 5, when Frankie shoots Johnnie. By some
accounts, here it was really she as was doin' him wrong (even if he deserved
it -- or did she overreact?).
Since the judge says (in Stanza 8) that she committed 'murder in the second
degree', there is some interpretation by which _she_ did wrong? (Otherwise it
would not be called 'murder'). The balladeer has the cheek to say the ballad
has no 'moral' -- which is actually a trigger for many to _perceive_ one.
I read the ballad originates in Liverpool, Little Ireland, England.
Cheers,
JL
----
From an online source
G G7
Frankie and Johnnie were lovers, oh Lordy how they could love.
C G
They swore to be true to each other, true as the stars above.
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
Frankie and Johnnie went walking, Johnnie in his brand new suit.
C G
Then "Oh good Lord," says Frankie, "don't my Johnnie look real cute!"
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
Frankie she was a good woman, as everybody knows.
C G
Spent a hundred dollars just to buy her man some clothes.
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
Frankie went down to the corner just for a bucket of beer,
C G
She said to the fat bartender, "Has my loving Johnnie been here?"
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
"I don't want to tell you no stories, and I don't want to tell you no lies,
C G
But I saw your man about an hour ago with gal named Nellie Bly.
If he's your man, he's a-doin' you wrong."
G G7
Frankie went down to the hotel, didn't go there for fun.
C G
Underneath her kimono she carried a forty-four gun.
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
Frankie looked over the transom and found to her great surprise
C G
There on the bed sat Johnnie a-lovin' up Nellie Bly.
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
Now the first time that Frankie shot Johnnie he let out an awful yell.
C G
Second time she shot him, there was a new man's face in hell.
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
"Roll me over so easy, roll me over so slow,
C G
Roll me over on the right side, 'cause the left side hurts me so."
D-D7 G
He was her man, but he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
The judge said to the jury, "It's as plain as plain can be.
C G
This woman shot her lover, it's murder in the second degree.
D-D7 G
He was her man, tho' he was doin' her wrong.
G G7
This story has no moral, this story has no end.
C G
This story only goes to show that there ain't no good in men.
D-D7 G
They'll do you wrong just as sure as you're born.
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