If I Were a Rich Man Chords by Zero Mostel, Milton Greene

_ _ _ Dear God, you made many, many poor people. _
I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor.
_ _ But it's no great honor either.
_ So what would have been so terrible _ if I had _ a small fortune?
_ _ _ If I were a rich man.
Ya-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de. _ _
[G#] All day long [C#m] I'd be-de-be-de-bum.
[G] If I were a wealthy man, _ [C#] I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya-de-de-be-de-be-de-de _ _ _ _ -de-de-de-de-de-de [G#]-de.
If I were [C#m]
a pity-bitty rich, _ [D#] ya-de [G#]-de-de-de-de-de [C#]-de-de-de-de-de-de-man. _
_ _ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [C#] _ _
_ [F#m] Big tall house with [B] rooms by the dozen.
[E] Right in the middle of the [C#] town.
A [F#m] fine tin roof [Fm] with real wooden floors [C#] below. _ _
_ There couldn't [F#m] be one long [B] staircase just going up.
And one even longer coming [G#] down.
[C#] _ [F#m] And one more [G] leading nowhere just for [G#] show. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ I'd [F#] fill _ my _ yard with chicks and turkeys and [C#] geese and ducks for the town to [A#] see and hear.
_ _ _ [D#m] _ [F#] Squawking just [G#] as noisily as [C#] they can.
_ _ _ And [F#m] each loud quack-a-quack-a-quack-a-quack [F#] _ _ [B] _ will land like a trumpet on [G#] their ear.
[C#] _ _
[F#m] As if to say [G] here lives a wealthy _ [G#] man. _ _ _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ [G#] _ Ahh_
[C#] If I were a rich man, ya-de-de-de-de-be-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-la-la-la.
_ _ [G#] All day long [C#m] I'd biddy biddy boom [A#m] If I were a wealthy [G#]
man
_ [C#] I wouldn't have to work hard
_ _ _ If _ _
_ _ _ _ [D#] _ _ [G#] I were [C#m] a biddy biddy rich [A#] _
Yida [G#] dida _ [C#] dida dida man
_ _ I [D#m] _ see [C#] _ my _ [F#m] wife, my [D#]
goldie Looking like [B] a rich [E] man's wife
With a proper double [G#] chin _ _ _ [F#m] _ _
_ Supervising [Fm] meals to our heart's [C#]
delight
_ _ I _ [F#m] see her putting on airs And [B] strutting like a [E] peacock
Oh, what a happy [D] mood she's in [C#] _ _ [F#m] _ Screaming at [G] the servants day [G#] and night _ _
_ _ _ [E] _ _ _ [C#] _
The most [G#] important men in town Will [B] come to fawn [G#] on me
[F#m] _ They will ask me to advise [A] _ them [D] _ Like a Solomon the _ Wise
[C#] If [Bm] you _ please, _ [A] Reptavia _ [G#] Pardon me here, _ Reptavia
_ [C#] Posing problems [Fm] that would cross a [C#] rabbi's _ eyes
[G#] La dee dee ra dee dee [C#]
ra
_ _ [D#m] _ _ _ [C#] _ _
_ _ [F#m] And it won't [B] make one bit of difference [E] If I answer right or [G#] wrong
_ _ [F#m] When you're rich they [G] think you really know
[G#] _ _ [A#] _ _ _ [G#] _
_ [F#] _ _ If I _ were _ rich I'd have [G#] the time that I [Fm] lack
[C#] To sit in a synagogue [D#] and pray [A#] _ _ [D#m] And maybe have [G#] a seat by the [C#] Eastern Wall _ _ _ _
And _ [F#m] I'd discuss the holy [B] books with the learned [E] men
Seven hours [G#] every day [C#] _ _ _ [F#m]
That would be [G] the sweetest thing [G#m] of all
[G#] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [C#] Oh, _ if I were a rich man I'd
La _ _ dee dee _ _ _ _ [G#] _
_ _ _ [C#m] _ _ _ _ _
[D#] _ ra dee ra dee ra
[G#] _ _ _
[C#] I wouldn't have to work hard _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [G#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C#m] _ _ _ _ _ _ [G#] You _ decreed I [C#m] should be what I am
_ [G#] Wouldn't spoil some [C#m] vast eternal [A#] plan
_ _ [A] _
If [E] _ I were a _ wealthy _ [C#] _ _ _ man
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ [C#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _