FRANKIE & JOHNNY

Frankie and Johnny” (sometimes spelled “Frankie and Johnnie”; also known as “Frankie

and Albert” or just “Frankie”) is a traditional American popular song. It tells the story of a

woman, Frankie, who finds her man Johnny “making love to” another woman and shoots

him dead. Frankie is then arrested; in some versions of the song she is also executed. The

first published version of the music to “Frankie and Johnny” appeared in 1904, credited

to and copyrighted by Hughie Cannon, the composer of “Won’t You Come Home Bill

Bailey“; the piece, a variant version of whose melody is sung today, was titled “He Done

Me Wrong” and subtitled “Death of Bill Bailey”. Another variant of the melody, with

words and music credited to Frank and Bert Leighton, appeared in 1908 under the title

“Bill You Done Me Wrong”; this song was republished in 1912 as “Frankie and Johnny”,

this time with the words that appear in modern folk variations.

Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts

But he was doin’ her wrong

He was doin’ her wrong in a bad way

But she was good and strong

He was her man, but he was a jerk

Was in a hotel with Nellie Blye

And the gun went rooty-toot-toot

Shot the bastard in the heart

And ruined his nice suit

He was her man, but he was no damn good

So they took him up to the graveyard

And stuck him in the dirt

Which was oh-so very sad,

And a waste of a nice clean shirt

He was her man, but he was doin’ her wrong

He had no idea what happened

He was waving hello to God

He died from eating squirrel,

And they laid him in the sun

He was her man, but he was doin’ her wrong

So that was Frankie and Johnny

And that’s the end of my song

She put a hose in his tailpipe

‘Cause he had done her wrong

He was her man, and that’s all she wrote

Banjo Mountain