Lizzie Borden

ARTIST: Michael Brown - Chad Mitchell Trio
TITLE: Lizzie Borden
Lyrics and Chords

Spoken:
Lizzie Bordon took an axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks.
And when the job was nicely done, she gave her father 41.

[Capo 1]

[C] Yesterday in old Fall River, Mr. [F] Andrew [G] Borden [C] died
[C] And they got his daughter Lizzie [G] on a charge of homicide
[E] Some folks say she didn't [Am] do it, and [E] others say of course [Am] she did
But they [F] all [F#m] agree Miss [C] Lizzie [A] B. was a [F] problem [G] kind of [C] kid

/ D - - - / - - E A / D - - B7 / G B7 A D / 

   'Cause you [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
   Not [C] even if it's [A] planned as a [D] surprise ([G] a surprise)
   No, you [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
   You know how [G] neighbors love to [C] criticize

   / G - D - / - - E A / G - D - / A - D - /

[E] Well, she got him on the [Am] sofa [E] where he'd gone to take a [Am] snooze
And I [F] hope he [F#] went to [C] heaven [A] 'cause he [F] wasn't [G] wearing [C] shoes
[E] Lizzie kinda rearranged [Am] him [E] with a hatchet so they [Am] say
Then [F] she [F#] got her [C] mother [A] in that [F] same old-[G] fashioned [C] way!

   But you [F] can't chop your mama up in [C] Massachusetts
   Not [C] even if you're [A] tired of her [D] cuisine (Her [G] cuisine)
   No, you [F] can't chop your mama up in [C] Massachusetts
   You know it's [G] almost sure to cause a [C] scene

[E] Well, they really kept her [Am] hoppin' [E] on that busy [Am] afternoon
With [F] both down- [F#m] and up-[C] stairs [A] chopping while she [F] hummed a [G] ragtime [C] tune
[E] They really made her [Am] hustle [E] and when [Am] all was said and done
She'd [F] removed her [F#m] mother's [C] bustle [A] when she [F] wasn't [G] wearing [C] one


   Oh you [F] can't chop your mama up in [C] Massachusetts
   And [C] then blame [A] all the damage on the [D] mice ([G] on the mice)
   No, But you [F] can't chop your mama up in [C] Massachusetts
   That kind of [G] thing just isn't very [C] nice

[E] Now, it wasn't done for [Am] pleasure [E] and it wasn't [Am] done for spite
And it [F] wasn't [F#m] done [C] because [A] the [F] lady [G] wasn't very [C] bright
[E] She'd always done the [Am] slightest thing [E] that mom and papa [Am] bid
They said, [F] "Lizzie, [F#m] cut it [C] out," so [A] that's [F] exactly w[G] hat she [C] did

   But you [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
   And [C] then get dressed and [A] go out [D] for a [G] walk
   No you [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
   Massachusetts [G] is a far cry from New [C] York

   No you [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
     [NC]  Shut the door, and lock and latch it, here comes Lizzie with a brand new hatchet
   You [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
      [NC] Such a snob, I've heard it said, she met her pa and cut him dead
  You [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
      [NC] Jump like a fish, jump like a porpoise, all join hands and habeas corpus
  You [F] can't chop your [C] papa up in Massachusetts
  [G] Massachusetts is a far cry from [C] New York

   ... / G A D - /