Mack the Knife



-Artist: Bobby Darin

-the # 5 song of the 1955-1959 rock era

-was # 1 for 9 weeks in 1959

-original Words by Berthold Brecht and Music by Kurt Weill. English words added

--by Marc Blitzstein

-written in 1928 as "Moritat" or "Theme From the Threepenny Opera" a/k/a "The

-Beggar's Opera" and introduced in that production by Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya





Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red



Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh

Lies a body just oozin' life, eek

And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?



There's a tugboat, huh, huh, down by the river dontcha know

Where a cement bag's just a'drooppin' on down

Oh, that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear

Five'll get ya ten old Macky's back in town

Now d'ja hear 'bout Louie Miller? He disappeared, babe

After drawin' out all his hard-earned cash

And now MacHeath spends just like a sailor

Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?



Now Jenny Diver, ho, ho, yeah, Sukey Tawdry

Ooh, Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Oh, the line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town



I said Jenny Diver, whoa, Sukey Tawdry

Look out to Miss Lotte Lenya and old Lucy Brown

Yes, that line forms on the right, babe

Now that Macky's back in town

Look out, old Macky's back!!





Transcribed by Ronald E. Hontz

ronhontz@worldnet.att.net