Chords for Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? - Prof. Douglas Fraser
Tempo:
116.1 bpm
Chords used:
F
Dm
A
C
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
This next song was written in 1902.
This was a time in American history when the average working man worked a ten hour day six days a week.
Now the music and the words to this song were written by one of the fine song and dance men of the day, Huey Cannon.
Huey Cannon was a friendly, easy going, generous person with an easy come easy go philosophy and numbered amongst his many friends.
He was a delightful, though rather lazy, Negro man named Bill Bailey.
Now Bill Bailey's large sized wife had a habit of constantly kicking Bill out of the house when she became fed up with him.
And on one such occasion, Bill Bailey and Huey Cannon were having a conversation.
And Bill Bailey lamented over the fact that he loved his wife so much that it was hard to stay away from her.
And Huey Cannon gave Bill some advice and a couple of dollars.
And the advice was that absence makes the heart grow fonder and Bill Bailey should stay away from his wife and away from the house for a couple of days.
Well, Bill took his advice and the two of them parted company that afternoon.
And Huey Cannon was thinking about Bill Bailey's situation and thought this is a grand idea for a humorous song.
And then he fantasized Bill Bailey becoming rich and his wife begging him to come home.
He gave it the obvious title of Bill Bailey won't you please come home and he hastened to write the words down.
And he placed the words to the popular ragtime style of the day and handed this music over to a very close friend and colleague of his, John Queen.
Now John was a well-known banjo player and blackface minstrel.
And John first performed this song in Newborough, New York in 1902.
And when he finished playing it was obvious this song was going to be a big hit.
Obvious because the audience absolutely went wild for it.
The next day New Yorkers were seen whistling the song while standing in line to buy return tickets.
Within two months this song was a smash coast to coast and a milestone in Huey Cannon's career.
Had you been there in 1902 to see and hear this song it would have been performed exactly like this.
On one summer's day the sun was shining bright.
The lady that laughed over a bill hanging clothes on line in [A] her backyard.
[Dm] [B]
[Dm] She married a big old weedler who out that knocked her down.
And crying like a fool fell down from a big wall hanging around to that [A] crowd she ran [Bb] around.
Won't [E] [F] you come home girl can you won't you [D] come home.
I'm on [G] that whole lot [E]
line.
[Gm]
I'll pay the rent I'm [C] gonna turn [F] you [C] wrong.
[F] Well be thankful that lady blew you out.
Mother [Cm] would have [Bb] liked to have come.
But you know [F] she found her flame and ashes.
[D] Let her shine and tell her that she [C] loves you.
Please [F] come [A] home.
[Dm]
Well Bill drove by the door.
He was in an automobile.
With a great big diamond footed horseman.
He had a big wings to his feet.
Oh [A] Lord [Dm] I had a load.
[Em] [Dm] He hollered through the door.
Hey Bill Bailey are you sore?
He stopped a while and he talked to me.
When I see you in the box [C] Bill was in line.
[A] And [Dm] crying like a fool fell down [E] from a big wall hanging around to that crowd she ran around.
[F] Won't you come home girl [Am] can you won't you [Dm] come home.
I'm on that whole lot [C] line.
I'll do the cooking I'll pay the rent.
I know that I'll turn you [F]
wrong.
[Ab] [F] Remember that lady blew you out.
She's nothing but a [Bb] line.
Please come home.
She'll have the door of your flame.
[F] [D] And ashes.
[G] [E] [D]
[G] Oh Bill won't [C] you please come home.
[A] [F]
This was a time in American history when the average working man worked a ten hour day six days a week.
Now the music and the words to this song were written by one of the fine song and dance men of the day, Huey Cannon.
Huey Cannon was a friendly, easy going, generous person with an easy come easy go philosophy and numbered amongst his many friends.
He was a delightful, though rather lazy, Negro man named Bill Bailey.
Now Bill Bailey's large sized wife had a habit of constantly kicking Bill out of the house when she became fed up with him.
And on one such occasion, Bill Bailey and Huey Cannon were having a conversation.
And Bill Bailey lamented over the fact that he loved his wife so much that it was hard to stay away from her.
And Huey Cannon gave Bill some advice and a couple of dollars.
And the advice was that absence makes the heart grow fonder and Bill Bailey should stay away from his wife and away from the house for a couple of days.
Well, Bill took his advice and the two of them parted company that afternoon.
And Huey Cannon was thinking about Bill Bailey's situation and thought this is a grand idea for a humorous song.
And then he fantasized Bill Bailey becoming rich and his wife begging him to come home.
He gave it the obvious title of Bill Bailey won't you please come home and he hastened to write the words down.
And he placed the words to the popular ragtime style of the day and handed this music over to a very close friend and colleague of his, John Queen.
Now John was a well-known banjo player and blackface minstrel.
And John first performed this song in Newborough, New York in 1902.
And when he finished playing it was obvious this song was going to be a big hit.
Obvious because the audience absolutely went wild for it.
The next day New Yorkers were seen whistling the song while standing in line to buy return tickets.
Within two months this song was a smash coast to coast and a milestone in Huey Cannon's career.
Had you been there in 1902 to see and hear this song it would have been performed exactly like this.
On one summer's day the sun was shining bright.
The lady that laughed over a bill hanging clothes on line in [A] her backyard.
[Dm] [B]
[Dm] She married a big old weedler who out that knocked her down.
And crying like a fool fell down from a big wall hanging around to that [A] crowd she ran [Bb] around.
Won't [E] [F] you come home girl can you won't you [D] come home.
I'm on [G] that whole lot [E]
line.
[Gm]
I'll pay the rent I'm [C] gonna turn [F] you [C] wrong.
[F] Well be thankful that lady blew you out.
Mother [Cm] would have [Bb] liked to have come.
But you know [F] she found her flame and ashes.
[D] Let her shine and tell her that she [C] loves you.
Please [F] come [A] home.
[Dm]
Well Bill drove by the door.
He was in an automobile.
With a great big diamond footed horseman.
He had a big wings to his feet.
Oh [A] Lord [Dm] I had a load.
[Em] [Dm] He hollered through the door.
Hey Bill Bailey are you sore?
He stopped a while and he talked to me.
When I see you in the box [C] Bill was in line.
[A] And [Dm] crying like a fool fell down [E] from a big wall hanging around to that crowd she ran around.
[F] Won't you come home girl [Am] can you won't you [Dm] come home.
I'm on that whole lot [C] line.
I'll do the cooking I'll pay the rent.
I know that I'll turn you [F]
wrong.
[Ab] [F] Remember that lady blew you out.
She's nothing but a [Bb] line.
Please come home.
She'll have the door of your flame.
[F] [D] And ashes.
[G] [E] [D]
[G] Oh Bill won't [C] you please come home.
[A] [F]
Key:
F
Dm
A
C
E
F
Dm
A
_ _ _ This next song was written in 1902.
This was a time in American history when the average working man worked a ten hour day six days a week.
Now the music and the words to this song were written by one of the fine song and dance men of the day, Huey Cannon. _
Huey Cannon was a friendly, _ easy going, generous person with an easy come easy go philosophy and numbered amongst his many friends.
He was a delightful, though rather lazy, Negro man named Bill Bailey.
_ _ Now Bill Bailey's large sized wife had a habit of constantly kicking Bill out of the house when she became fed up with him.
And on one such occasion, Bill Bailey and Huey Cannon were having a conversation.
_ And Bill Bailey lamented over the fact that he loved his wife so much that it was hard to stay away from her.
And Huey Cannon gave Bill some advice and a couple of dollars.
And the advice was that absence makes the heart grow fonder and Bill Bailey should stay away from his wife and away from the house for a couple of days.
Well, Bill took his advice and the two of them parted company that afternoon.
And Huey Cannon was thinking about Bill Bailey's situation and thought this is a grand idea for a humorous song.
And then he fantasized Bill Bailey becoming rich and his wife begging him to come home.
He gave it the obvious title of Bill Bailey won't you please come home and he hastened to write the words down.
And he placed the words _ _ to the popular _ ragtime style of the day and handed this music over to a very close friend and colleague of his, John Queen.
Now John was a well-known banjo player and blackface minstrel.
_ And John first performed this song in Newborough, New York in 1902.
And when he finished playing it was obvious this song was going to be a big hit.
_ Obvious because the audience absolutely went wild for it.
The next day New Yorkers were seen whistling the song while standing in line to buy return tickets.
Within two months this song was a smash coast to coast and a milestone in Huey Cannon's career.
Had you been there in 1902 to see and hear this song it would have been performed exactly like this. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
On one summer's day the sun was shining bright.
The lady that laughed over a bill hanging clothes on line in [A] her backyard.
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [B] _
_ [Dm] She married a big old weedler who out that knocked her down.
And crying like a fool fell down from a big wall hanging around to that [A] crowd she ran [Bb] around.
Won't [E] _ _ [F] you come home girl can you won't you [D] come home.
I'm on [G] that whole lot [E]
line.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm]
I'll pay the rent I'm [C] gonna turn [F] you [C] wrong.
[F] Well be thankful that lady _ blew you out.
Mother [Cm] would have [Bb] liked to have come.
But you know [F] she found her flame and ashes.
[D] Let her shine and tell her that she [C] loves you.
Please [F] come [A] home.
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Well Bill drove by the door.
He was in an automobile.
With a great big diamond footed horseman.
He had a big wings to his feet.
Oh [A] Lord _ [Dm] I had a load.
[Em] _ _ [Dm] He hollered through the door.
Hey Bill Bailey are you sore?
He stopped a while and he talked to me.
When I see you in the box [C] Bill was in line.
[A] And [Dm] crying like a fool fell down [E] from a big wall hanging around to that crowd she ran around.
[F] Won't you come home girl [Am] can you won't you [Dm] come home.
I'm on that whole lot [C] line.
_ _ _ I'll do the cooking I'll pay the rent.
I know that I'll turn you [F]
wrong.
[Ab] _ _ [F] Remember that lady blew you out.
_ She's nothing but a [Bb] line.
Please come home.
She'll have the door of your flame.
[F] _ [D] And ashes.
[G] _ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [G] Oh Bill won't [C] you please come home.
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _
This was a time in American history when the average working man worked a ten hour day six days a week.
Now the music and the words to this song were written by one of the fine song and dance men of the day, Huey Cannon. _
Huey Cannon was a friendly, _ easy going, generous person with an easy come easy go philosophy and numbered amongst his many friends.
He was a delightful, though rather lazy, Negro man named Bill Bailey.
_ _ Now Bill Bailey's large sized wife had a habit of constantly kicking Bill out of the house when she became fed up with him.
And on one such occasion, Bill Bailey and Huey Cannon were having a conversation.
_ And Bill Bailey lamented over the fact that he loved his wife so much that it was hard to stay away from her.
And Huey Cannon gave Bill some advice and a couple of dollars.
And the advice was that absence makes the heart grow fonder and Bill Bailey should stay away from his wife and away from the house for a couple of days.
Well, Bill took his advice and the two of them parted company that afternoon.
And Huey Cannon was thinking about Bill Bailey's situation and thought this is a grand idea for a humorous song.
And then he fantasized Bill Bailey becoming rich and his wife begging him to come home.
He gave it the obvious title of Bill Bailey won't you please come home and he hastened to write the words down.
And he placed the words _ _ to the popular _ ragtime style of the day and handed this music over to a very close friend and colleague of his, John Queen.
Now John was a well-known banjo player and blackface minstrel.
_ And John first performed this song in Newborough, New York in 1902.
And when he finished playing it was obvious this song was going to be a big hit.
_ Obvious because the audience absolutely went wild for it.
The next day New Yorkers were seen whistling the song while standing in line to buy return tickets.
Within two months this song was a smash coast to coast and a milestone in Huey Cannon's career.
Had you been there in 1902 to see and hear this song it would have been performed exactly like this. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
On one summer's day the sun was shining bright.
The lady that laughed over a bill hanging clothes on line in [A] her backyard.
_ _ [Dm] _ _ [B] _
_ [Dm] She married a big old weedler who out that knocked her down.
And crying like a fool fell down from a big wall hanging around to that [A] crowd she ran [Bb] around.
Won't [E] _ _ [F] you come home girl can you won't you [D] come home.
I'm on [G] that whole lot [E]
line.
_ _ _ _ _ _ [Gm]
I'll pay the rent I'm [C] gonna turn [F] you [C] wrong.
[F] Well be thankful that lady _ blew you out.
Mother [Cm] would have [Bb] liked to have come.
But you know [F] she found her flame and ashes.
[D] Let her shine and tell her that she [C] loves you.
Please [F] come [A] home.
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Well Bill drove by the door.
He was in an automobile.
With a great big diamond footed horseman.
He had a big wings to his feet.
Oh [A] Lord _ [Dm] I had a load.
[Em] _ _ [Dm] He hollered through the door.
Hey Bill Bailey are you sore?
He stopped a while and he talked to me.
When I see you in the box [C] Bill was in line.
[A] And [Dm] crying like a fool fell down [E] from a big wall hanging around to that crowd she ran around.
[F] Won't you come home girl [Am] can you won't you [Dm] come home.
I'm on that whole lot [C] line.
_ _ _ I'll do the cooking I'll pay the rent.
I know that I'll turn you [F]
wrong.
[Ab] _ _ [F] Remember that lady blew you out.
_ She's nothing but a [Bb] line.
Please come home.
She'll have the door of your flame.
[F] _ [D] And ashes.
[G] _ _ [E] _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [G] Oh Bill won't [C] you please come home.
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _