Key: D minor
Verse 1
she's a good old soul, she got ten
Your breezy granddaddy
Deep down in the jungle
C
Am
Where the tall grass grows
Lived a signifying monkey
Dm
Am
Dm
that everybody knows
with a diamond on his ring
Was a home -born lion,
Em
Am
he thought he was a king
He was a daddy,
but he was only seventeen
He was broke,
but he was always clean
He could read,
but he couldn't read right.
He could write,
F
Am
but he couldn't write right.
What you got to do, huh, uh,
C
F
Dm
you got to watch what you say.
F
Am
Children, you got to watch
what you say, huh, uh.
C
Em
In times when life is cheap,
F
Am
an d watch what you say.
Em
Am
Sundiata, tell him.
Said to signify that monkey
to the lion one day
Goin' round talkin' so sorry to say
About your mama in a scandalous way
I mean he talk about your mama,
say your grandma too
And he didn't show too
much respect for you
You wasn't there and you
know I was glad
What he said about your mama, mama
Em
Am
G
C
Made me mad
Am
Em
So the lion said, oh yeah,
I'll tear that elephant from
limb to limb to limb
G
Am
He shook the jungle with a mighty,
roar
Em
Am
Then he took out like a shot from a .40 -44
He was hot, he was smokin'
like death upon a breeze
G
Am
Lockin' all the coconuts off the trees
He found the elephant
Em
G
by an elephant claw
blow blow for blow blow
The elephant was taken
Am
Em
Am
He said my man
G
Am
You better get somebody your own size
Dm
F
And watch what you say
what you say now
Dm
Em
In times when life is cheap
Em
Am
Dm
F
Dm
F
Am
C
Play, play, play the blues
Am
C
Dm
F
Dm
F
Am
C
Em
Dm
F
Am
Em
Am
So the lion wouldn't listen,
ha, he made a pass
The elephant knocked him
F
Em
down in the grass
That elephant really went to town
I mean he went upon that lion
for the rest of the day
And I still don't see
how that lion got away
But he dragged off more dead than alive
And that's when the monkey
Em
Am
started signifying life
That's when the monkey started sing -a -flying,
C
F
Sing, sing, sing -a -flying.
Am
Whee!
What is that beat -up sound
that I hear? -a -flying monkey.
Is that you, Mr. Lion?
Do tell.
The elephant whipped you so bad,
now you look like, well.
Am
F
Am
Sing -a -flying monkey.
Sing, sing, And jumping up and down.
Sing, -a -flying.
And he plunged to the ground
Dm
Am
The lion was on him with all four feet
Bout to grind that monkey
to mcdonald meat
Dm
Am
Perpetrator pride
He said, my brother, my brother,
my brother, my brother
Why don't we get it on?
Look you straight in the eye
F
Am
Get my butt up out this sand
I'll stand up and fight you like
a natural born man.
The lion stepped back to
hear what he said.
The monkey ran up a tree.
C
Am
Em
He got away.
treat you like a friend.
If you mess with me,
with tears in his eyes.
Am
F
Am
want to stay alive,
And that's where you find
the monkey today,
F
Dm
today, today.
C
Am
You better watch what you say.
F
Am
You better watch your mouth.
Dm
F
Watch what you say.
I'll tell you again now.
Oh, baby.
C
Em
In times when life is cheap,
Dm
F
pray the Lord your soul will keep.
Em
Am
Let me fly, fly, fly, fly
Interlude 1
F
Am
C
Dm
F
Am
C
Am
C
Em
G
F
Am
Em
F
Dm
F
G
Em
Am
C
Dm
F
G
Em
Am
Em
Am
Em
Dm
F
Am
Em
Dm
F
Verse 2
F
Dm
F
My people, my people,
C
Am
what you say these days.
C
Em
Boy, in times when life is cheap,
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