After the Ball Chords by Joan Morris & William Bolcom

[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ [Ab] _ A little _ _ maiden _ _ climbed an [Eb] old man's _ knee, [Bbm] _
begged for [Eb] a _ story, _
do _ [Ab] uncle _ please, _ _ _ [Eb] why are [Ab] you _ single, _ _ [C] why leave [Fm] on _ _ _ [Db] _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ ease,
[Fm] _ [Bb] _
[Eb] have you no _ [Ab] _ _ _
[Fm] one to love?
I [C] had a _ sweetheart [Db] _ _ [Eb] years, [Ab] years ago, _ _ [Db] _ [Bm] where _ [Ab] she's now pet,
[Bb]
you _ will [Eb] soon _ know, _ [Ab] _ this to the _
[Eb] story, [Ab] _ _ [C] I'll tell [Fm] it _ all,
[Db] _ I [D] _
[Ab] believed her _ _ faithless, [Fm] _
_ [Eb] after _ _ [Cm] _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Ab] all is _ over, _
_ after _ a [Bbm] break of _ [Eb] romance _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] is [Eb] leaving, _ _ _ after the [Ab] stars are gone,
your _ heart _ _ _ _ _ is _ _ aching, [F]
if you could [Bb] read the _ _
[Db] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ mannish,
[Bb] _ _
_ [Eb] _ after [Ab] the _ _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ [Ab] _
_ bright _ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] _ _
_ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ lights were [Eb] flashing, _
[Ab] _ in the grand [Eb] _ _
ballroom,
_ _ softly the _ _ music _ _ playing _ [Ab] _ sweet tunes, _ _ there came my _ _ sweetheart,
_ _ [C] my _ [Fm] _ _ _
_ _ [Db] _ _ _ [F] sweet _
[Ab] _ sweetheart, _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb]
my sweet sweetheart, my sweet sweetheart,
[Ab] _ when _ [Fm] _
_ _ [C] I _ _ returned [Cm] dear, [Db] _ _ [Eb] there [Ab] stood a _ man, [Db] _ _ [B] kissing [Ab] my _ _ sweetheart,
[Bb] _ _
as [Eb] lovers _ _ can, _ [Ab] _ down fell the glass head, _ broken [C] _ [F] _
that's [Fm] all,
[Db] _ _ [Dm] just [Eb] as my [Ab] heart was, [Fm] _
[Bb] _ _ [Eb] after [Ab] the ball,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ [Ab] _ all is _ _ over,
_ _ after _ _ _
[Bbm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [C] a break [Eb] of romance is leaving, _ _ _ after the [Ab] stars are gone, _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ your heart is _ _ aching, _ [F] if you could _ [Bb] read the _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ mannish,
_ [D]
after _ [Eb] _ _ _ [Ab] the _
_ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _
[Ab] _ _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] _
_ _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ bright lights were flashing, _ _ [Fm] in the grand _ [Ab] _ _ ballroom,
I've [Fm] never wed, [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ [Bbm] _
true to my [Eb] lost love, _ _ though she [Cm] is dead,
[C] _ _ [Ab] _
_ _ _ _ she tried to [Fm] tell me, _ [Ab] _ _ _ tried [C] to explain, [Fm] _ _ _ _ _
_ [Db] _ _ I would [Ab] not listen,
_ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Eb] pleadings were [Ab] vain, _ _ _ _ [Fm] _ _
_ _ one [C] day _ a letter [Db] came [G] from that [Ab] man, _ _
_ _ _ _ [Db] _ he was her [Ab] brother, _ _ [F] _ [Bb] _ _
_ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Ab] that's why I'm [Fm]
lonely, _ [Ab] _ _ _ no [G]
home,
[C] _ [Fm] _ _ _ _ _ _
[Db] _ [G] I broke her [Ab] heart, _ and [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb] after the ball, _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ after _ the _ ball is _ _ over, _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
all is over, after a break of romance [C] is _ _ [Eb] leaving, _
_ after _ the _ stars [Ab] are _ _ gone, _ _ _ your _ [Db] _ _ _
heart [Ab] is _ _ _ _ aching,
_ [F] if you could _ read [Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ _ the _ _ mannish, _ [Ab] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb] after _ _
_ [Ab] the _ bright lights were flashing, _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _
_ [Bb] _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _