Man on the Flying Trapeeze

Man on the Flying Trapeeze

MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE 1867

Full original lyrics taken from https://www.sheetmusicsinger.com/the-flying-trapeze/
Chords adapted from the previous version posted by larrivee-l03 [a]
 
 
[Verse 1]
C7  F          D7         A#
Oh, once I was happy, but now I'm forlorn,
C7                       F            C7
Like an old coat that is tatter'd and torn.
F            D7            A#
Left in this wide world to fret and to mourn,
  C7                      F
Betrayed by a maid in her teens.
 
[Pre-chorus 1]
         Dm          A7             Dm
Now this girl that I lov'd, she was handsome (and swell)
  Dm          A7          Dm
I tried all I knew her to please;
    Dm          A7             Dm         G7
But I could not please her one quarter so well
          G7              C7
Like that man upon the Trapeze
 

{ CHORUS }
         F             D7           G7
Oh, He’d fly thro’ the air with the greatest of ease
  C7                      F         C7
A daring young man on the flying trapeze.
    F              D7            G7
His movements were graceful; all girls he could please,
       C7                 F
And my love he purloined away.
 
[Verse 2]
     F            D7           A#
This young man by name was “Signor Bona Slang”
C7                         F            C7
Tall, big, and handsome as well made as Chang
    F         D7          A#
Where’er he appeared, the hall loudly rang
      C7                     F
With ovation from all people there
 
[Pre-chorus 2]
     Dm             A7         Dm       A7
He’d smile from the bar on the people below
    Dm           A7           Dm
And one night he smiled on my love
    Dm             A7           Dm          G7
She winked back at him, and she shouted “Bravo!”
      G7                   C7
As he hung by his nose up above
 
{ CHORUS }
         F             D7           G7
Oh, He’d fly thro’ the air with the greatest of ease
  C7                      F         C7
A daring young man on the flying trapeze.
    F              D7            G7
His movements were graceful; all girls he could please,
       C7                 F
And my love he purloined away.
 
[Verse 3]
   F          D7          A#
Her father and mother were both on my side
    C7                 F               C7
And very hard tried to make her my own bride
    F         D7              A#
Her father he sigh'd, and her mother she cry'd
   C7                     F
To see her throw herself away
 
[Pre-chorus 3]
      Dm      A7             Dm          A7
‘Twas all no avail, she went there every night
          Dm          A7           Dm
And would throw him Boquets on the stage
      Dm            A7            Dm        G7
Which caus'd him to meet her, how he ran me down
   G7                          C7
To tell you would take a whole page
 
{ CHORUS }
         F             D7           G7
Oh, He’d fly thro’ the air with the greatest of ease
  C7                      F         C7
A daring young man on the flying trapeze.
    F              D7            G7
His movements were graceful; all girls he could please,
       C7                 F
And my love he purloined away.
 
[Verse 4]
F              D7           A#
One night I as ususal, went to her dear home
C7                         F       C7
Found there her father and mother alone
  F            D7             A#
I ask'd for my love, and soon they made known
      C7                     F
To my horror that she’d run away!
 
[Pre-chorus 4]
      Dm            A7        Dm            A7
She’d pack'd up her box, and elop'd in the night
     Dm           A7          Dm
With him with the greatest of ease
     Dm          A7           Dm          G7
From two stories high, he had lower'd her down
       G7                      C7
To the ground on his flying Trapeze!
 
{ CHORUS }
         F             D7           G7
Oh, He’d fly thro’ the air with the greatest of ease
  C7                      F         C7
A daring young man on the flying trapeze.
    F              D7            G7
His movements were graceful; all girls he could please,
       C7                 F
And my love he purloined away.
 
[Verse 5]
     F            D7     A#
Some months after this I went to a Hall
    C7                   F          C7
Was greatly surprised to see on the wall
  F           D7             A#
A bill in red letters, which did my heart gall
     C7                     F
That she was appearing with him
 
[Pre-chorus 5]
   Dm            A7           Dm             A7
He taught her gymnastics, and dress'd her in tights
   Dm          A7          Dm
To help him to live at his ease
    Dm         A7     Dm        G7
And made her assume a masculine name
    G7                  C7
And now she goes on the Trapeze!
 
[Outro]
    F                  D7           G7
She floats through the air with the greatest of ease
      C7                     F         C7
You’d think her a man on the flying Trapeze
    F            D7          G7
She does all the work, while he takes his ease
    C7                         F
And that’s what’s become of my love
X