[Intro]
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[verse]
C

F
O-da-lay-eeeeee 
C
O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee 
G
O-de-o-lay-ee-oh-oh 
    C
O-da-lay-eee

[Verse 2]

C
I was over in Africa minin' for gold 
F                   C
O-oooh, minin' for gold,
G
Come along a big lion, caught me in my hole
G                            C
O-de-lay-eee, caught me in my hole

[Verse 3]
C
The lion said "Buddy, you plumb outta luck" 
F                              C
O-da-lay-eee, you plumb outta luck,
G                                    
Made a lunge for me, lawd, I had to duck 
G7                      C
O-de-lay-eee, I had to duck

[Verse 4]
C
I jabbed that lion right clean in the jaw 
F                          C
O-oooh, right clean in the jaw
G
Picked up his tail, dragged him cross the floor 
G                                   C
O-de-lay-eee, dragged him cross the floor

[Verse 5]
C
I chained him up in the back of my truck 
F                          C
O-oooh, in the back of my truck
G
Said, "What's that you had to say about luck?" 
G                                 C
O-de-lay-eee, that you said about luck

[Verse 6]
C
The first place I took him was ten miles away, 
F
O-ooh, ten miles away
G
Told the people, "Listen what this lion can say" 
G                                C
O-de-lay-eee, what this lion can say

[Verse 7]
C
The lion looked round, he started to cry,
F                     C
O-ooh, he started to cry,
G
Said, "This man punched me and he blackened my eye" 
G                                  C
O-da-lay-eee, and he blackened my eye.

[Verse 8]
C
The people got angry, they started to shout, 
F                  C
O-da-lay-ee-ee-ee-eee
G
Lion said, "That's what I was talkin about" 
G                          C
O-de-lay-eee, oh-oh, lawd, laws.

[Verse 9]
C
They hauled me up the courthouse stairs, 
F                            C
O-oooh, up the courthouse stairs
G
The judge was a monkey in an old wicker chair 
G                           C
O-de-lay-eee, in an old wicker chair.

[Verse 10]
C
The monkey said, "Guilty", and the people all cheered,
F                           C
O-oooh, and the people all cheered
G
He slammed his gravel, said "Twenty five years" 
G                              C
O-da-lay-eee, said twenty five years

[Verse 11]
C
I'm in Africa wearin a ball and chain, 
F                        C
O-de-lay-ee, a ball and chain,
G
I'll never mess with a talkin lion again 
G                     C
O-oooh, talkin lion again