The Night the Pugilist Learned How to Dance

In the (Bbmaj7)streets around here,

there was (Gm7)nobody tougher than me.

(F7)I was (Cm7)quick with me fists and (F7sus)fast with me footwork,

(F7)as (Bbmaj7)you can plainly (Bb7)see.

(Bbaug)But while (Fm7)fighting was useful

for (Bb7)getting your way among the (Ebmaj7)toughs of the town

where (Ebm6)you could hold sway, there (Gm)had to be something

(Bb)that was (Em7)better than this.

(C9)I was (F7)fifteen years old

(Eb)and I'd (Abdim7)never been (F7)kissed.

Well, of (Bbmaj7)course she'd ignore me;

her (Gm7)friends would all sneer at me (Cm7)bloody nose dripping

and me (F7sus)cauliflow'r ear.

(F7)For it's (Cm7)hard to convince

in a (F7sus)romantic (F7)pose with a (Bbmaj7)lovely black eye (Bb7)and a broken (Bb6)nose,

sion of (Bbaug)me.

where a (Fm7)girl is attracted to (Bb7)skills more refined than the pugilist's (Ebmaj7)art.

ly,

And (Ebm6)so, I inclined

to (Gm)take meself serious

(Bb)as a was (Edim7)modern romancer,

and I (F7)secretly learned (Eb)all the moves of a (F7)dancer.

You (Bbmaj7)swing to the left,

you (Gm7)swing to the right,

keep your eyes on your partner,

more or (F7sus)less like a fight.

(F7)You just (Cm7)follow the rhythm

and you (F7sus)keep to the beat.

(F7)The (Bbmaj7)important thing's (Bb7)never to (Bb6)look at your (Bbaug)feet.

Then a (Fm7)miracle happens;

your your (Bb7)mind's in a trance,

though the (Ebmaj7)strategy's subtle:

(Ebm6)retreat and advance.

It's (Bbmaj7)all about (Gm7)attitude, (Cm7)all in your (F7)stance,

(Dm7)attention to (Gm7)detail, leaving (Cm7)nothing to (F7)chance;

which (Dm7)explains how the (Gm7)pugilist (Cm7)finally (F7)learned how to (Bbmaj7)dance.

(Bb)Well, I'd on the (Bbmaj7)night that the (Gm7)pugilist

(Cm7)finally (F7sus)learned how (F7)to (Bmaj7)dance.

(Em)It's a (B)threeminute round and you're (G#m7)back in your corner.

You're (C#m7)licking your wounds just like (F#7sus)Little Jack Horner.