G
If a man staggers by
And he gives you the eye
D
and he calls you his very best chum
If he hands you a lime
And begs for a dime
D7 G
You've just met ol' benny the bum
[Chorus]
D G
Oh Benny the Bum you can't afford rum
D
you ain't got no place to go
So you spend your time with a bottle of wine
G
in a flophouse way down on skid row
[Verse 2]
G
From where do you hail
Maybe just out of jail
D
What new strange lands have you seen
Your clothes are all tar from a railway boxcar
D7 G
And your blue molded tie is all green
[Chorus]
G
Oh Benny the bum why should you be glum
D
When youre brand new pair of shoes are a gold
Well one show is brown and the other one's black
D7 G
you're in style way down here on skid row
[Verse 3]
G
Now the cop on this beat
He's about seven feet
D
And he just won't leave Benny alone
D7 G
He thinks its fun to see Benny run and his wine bottles smash on the stone
G
But who'd ever dream Benny was seeing
The girl of his dreams long ago
D
And god bid her come
D7 G
And leave benny the bum to live in memories down on skid row
[Chorus]
D G
Oh Benny the Bum you can't afford rum
D
you ain't got no place to go
So you spend your time with a bottle of wine
G
in a flophouse way down on skid row
[Outro]
N.C.
He spends his time in a flophouse way down on skid row
