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Frankie And Johnny

Words & Music by Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger, Ben Weisman

Go Back

Frankie And Johnny

Words & Music by Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger, Ben Weisman

Frankie and me we were lovers
Oh Lordy how we could love
Swore we'd be true to each other
Just as true as stars above
I was her man, she caught me doing her wrong.

My luck in poker was fading
When a new gal caught my eye
I gambled, I tried to change my luck
With a chick named Nellie Bly
I was Frankie's man but I was doing her wrong.

Yeh! Frankie came looking to find me
Yes, she wasn't looking for fun
For in her sweet loving hand
She was totin' a 44 gun
To shoot her man if he was doin' her wrong

Well Frankie walked into the bar room
And right there in front of her eyes
There was her loving Johnny
Making love to that Nellie Bly
I was her man, she caught me doing her wrong.

Frankie, I beg, Please don't shoot me
Well they'll put you away in a cell
You know they'll put your where the cold wind blows
From the hottest corner in hell
I'm your man, I know I done you wrong.

Easy on the roll, real easy
Easy on the roll, real slow
Roll me over real gently
'Cause my wound hurts me so
Well I was her man
Well I done her wrong

Well Frankie told Johnny
Well this is the end of my song
I was her man, well I done her wrong
Well , hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Done her wrong
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There are several versions as to the origin of this classic folk song. One story says Frankie and Johnny dates back to the war of 1812. When the Tennessee and Kentucky Rifles (who served under Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans) returned home from the war, they sang the song. Supposedly they heard it in Crescent City, Louisiana, a mostly French-speaking city, under the title Françoise et Jean.

Another story traces the origin to a hot summer night in St. Louis in 1888. Frankie (a woman) gunned down her boyfriend, Johnny, with a derringer she had hidden in her garter. She had just learned that Johnny had "done her wrong".

In 1904 Hughie Cannon had the first published version of the song, using the title “He Done Me Wrong”. Several artists have recorded Frankie and Johnny over the years, including Ted Lewis (Columbia 1017) in 1927, Gene Autry in 1929, Johnny Cash (using the title Frankie's Man, Johnny) in 1959 (Columbia 41371), Brook Benton (Mercury 71859) in 1961, and Sam Cooke (RCA 8215) in 1963. Cooke's recording was the highest charted at #14.

Elvis recorded Frankie and Johnny using an arrangement by Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger and Ben Weisman, in May 1965 at Radio Recorders. In his film, Frankie and Johnny, he was backed by a chorus that included Donna Douglas, Sue Ane Langdon and Harry Morgan. The single release of Frankie and Johnny had an eight-week stay on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at #25.

«


Frankie and me we were lovers
Oh Lordy how we could love
Swore we'd be true to each other
Just as true as stars above
I was her man, she caught me doing her wrong.

My luck in poker was fading
When a new gal caught my eye
I gambled, I tried to change my luck
With a chick named Nellie Bly
I was Frankie's man but I was doing her wrong.

Yeh! Frankie came looking to find me
Yes, she wasn't looking for fun
For in her sweet loving hand
She was totin' a 44 gun
To shoot her man if he was doin' her wrong

Well Frankie walked into the bar room
And right there in front of her eyes
There was her loving Johnny
Making love to that Nellie Bly
I was her man, she caught me doing her wrong.

Frankie, I beg, Please don't shoot me
Well they'll put you away in a cell
You know they'll put your where the cold wind blows
From the hottest corner in hell
I'm your man, I know I done you wrong.

Easy on the roll, real easy
Easy on the roll, real slow
Roll me over real gently
'Cause my wound hurts me so
Well I was her man
Well I done her wrong

Well Frankie told Johnny
Well this is the end of my song
I was her man, well I done her wrong
Well , hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Done her wrong


There are several versions as to the origin of this classic folk song. One story says Frankie and Johnny dates back to the war of 1812. When the Tennessee and Kentucky Rifles (who served under Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans) returned home from the war, they sang the song. Supposedly they heard it in Crescent City, Louisiana, a mostly French-speaking city, under the title Françoise et Jean.

Another story traces the origin to a hot summer night in St. Louis in 1888. Frankie (a woman) gunned down her boyfriend, Johnny, with a derringer she had hidden in her garter. She had just learned that Johnny had "done her wrong".

In 1904 Hughie Cannon had the first published version of the song, using the title “He Done Me Wrong”. Several artists have recorded Frankie and Johnny over the years, including Ted Lewis (Columbia 1017) in 1927, Gene Autry in 1929, Johnny Cash (using the title Frankie's Man, Johnny) in 1959 (Columbia 41371), Brook Benton (Mercury 71859) in 1961, and Sam Cooke (RCA 8215) in 1963. Cooke's recording was the highest charted at #14.

Elvis recorded Frankie and Johnny using an arrangement by Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger and Ben Weisman, in May 1965 at Radio Recorders. In his film, Frankie and Johnny, he was backed by a chorus that included Donna Douglas, Sue Ane Langdon and Harry Morgan. The single release of Frankie and Johnny had an eight-week stay on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at #25.