Sham-a-ling-dong-ding (2009)    (video)

 

     C             Am          Dm            G

    Ho, ho ho ho, oh ho ho, oh ho ho.

 

              C                           Am                  Dm

1. The boys were singing shing-a-ling the summer night we met,

      G                        G7                     C                   Dm  - G

    you were tan and seventeen, oh, how could I forget.

                C                      Am                      Dm

    When every star from near and far was watching from above,

       G                       G7                C      - Dm - G

    watching two teenagers fall in love.

 

              C                            Am                      Dm

2. The way we danced was not a dance, but more a long embrace,

            G                     G7                   C                      Dm    - G

    we held on to each other and we floated there in space.

           C                  Am                           Dm

    And I was shy to kiss you while the whole wide world could see,

            G                      G7                   C     - F

    so shing-a-ling said everything for me.

 

          Dm                     G                      C                             Am

    And O the poor old old folks, they thought we'd lost our minds,

     Em                                                            Dm                          G

    they could not make heads or tails of the young folks' funny rhymes.

            C                     Am                             Dm                 F

    But you and I knew all the words and we always sang along

        C               Am          Dm                 G               C

    to O sham-a-ling-dong-ding, sham-a-ling-dang-dong.

 

+  Am - Dm - G - G7

 

           C                     Am                   Dm

3. So after years and after tears and after summers past

           G                        G7                      C                         Dm  - G

    the old folks tried to warn us how our love would never last.

            C                         Am                     Dm

    And all we'd get was soaking wet from walking in the rain

            G                       G7                 C

    and singing sham-a-shing-a-ling again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           Dm                    G                       C                     Am

    And O the poor old old folks, they smile and walk away,

            Em                                               Dm                        G

    but I bet they did some sham-a-lama-ding-dong in their day.

       C                        Am                             Dm                  F

    I bet that they still close their eyes and I bet they sing along

        C               Am           Dm                G

    to O sham-a-ling-dong-ding, sham-a-ling-dang - - -

 

   Am                                             C

    O those sweet old love songs, every word rings true,

                  Am

    sham-a-ling-dong-ding means sweetheart,

                 Dm                               G    - G7

    sham-a-ling-dang-dong does, too.

 

                 C                            Am               Dm                          F

    And it means that right here in my arms that's where you belong,

                 C                    Am          Dm                G               C

    and it means sham-a-ling-dong-ding, sham-a-ling-dang-dong.

 

+  Am - Dm - G - G7 - C

 

(orig. = capo 4th)    (Jesse Winchester)