Mack The Knife
English words by Marc Blitzstein
Original German words by Bert Brecht
Music by Kurt Weill
Key: C Major, Modulates to Eb
Time: 4/4 Brightly
Lenny Dee has written an arrangement that is real nice. You can read more about him, here.
Mack The Knife Lyrics
Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And he shows them pearly white;
Just a jack-knife has Macheath, dear,
And he keeps it out of sight!
When the shark bites with his teeth, dear,
Scarlet billows start to spread;
Fancy gloves, though, wears Macheath, dear,
So there's not a trace of red!
On the sidewalk Sunday morning
Lies a body oozing life;
Someone sneaking 'round the corner;
Is the someone Mack the Knife?
From a tugboat by the river,
A cement bag's dropping down;
The cement's just for the weight, dear;
Bet ya Mackie's back in town!
Louie Miller disappeared, dear,
After drawing out his cash,
And Macheath spends like a sailor;
Did our boy do something rash?
Suky Tawdry, Jenny Diver,
Polly Peachum, Lucy Brown;
Oh, the line forms on the right, dears,
Now that Mackie's back in town!
Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And he shows them pearly white;
Just a jack-knife has Macheath, dear,
And he keeps it out of sight!
Just a jack-knife has Macheath, dear,
And he keeps it out of sight!
Here's Lisa Stansfield singing Mac The Knife on YouTube. So many artists like, Bobby Darin and Louis Armstrong has done this song. Do you have a favorite song from this era?
Mack The Knife Chords
C6 = GACE/A
G7 = GBDF/A
C = GCE/B
Ebdim = GbACEB
Dm7 = FACD/D
G7 = GBDF/B
C6 = GACE/A
repeat
G9 = FABE/E
C = GCE/C
B7 = F#ABD#/B
Bb7 = FAbBbD/Bb
modulation
Eb6 = GBbCEb/Eb
Edim = EGBbDb/C#EGC
Bb7 = FAbBbD/DFAbC
Bbaug = F#BbD/DF#AbC
Eb6 = GBbCEb/EbGBbC
Cm = GCEb/F
F#dim = F#ACEb/C
Fm = FAbC/F
Bb7 = FAbBbD/D
Eb6 = GBbCEb/C
Bb7 = FAbBbD/DFAbCEb
Bbaug = F#BbD/Ab
Eb = GBbEb/G
F#dim = F#ACEb/C
Fm = FAbC/F
E7 = EG#BD/AbCbDG
Eb = GBbEb/Eb
Eb7 = G/GBbD
Ab = Ab/EbAbC
Cb = A/EbGbBb
Bb7 = Bb/FAbBb
Eb6 = GBbCEb/GBbCEb
Enjoy playing this famous song. It has a glissando in it, along with triplets in the melody line.
Have fun jamming along with this software product from HearandPlay, Backpocket Band.
All the best,
-- LadyD
"Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life." -- Art Blakey
