They Did not Believe Me by Jerome Kern - Matt Belsante

 

They Didn't Believe Me

Words & Music by Herbert Reynolds & Jerome Kern, 1914
Recorded by Julie London, 1960

[Verse]
Got the cutest little way,
Like to watch you all the day.
And it certainly seems fine,
Just to think that you'll be mine.
When I see your pretty smile,
Makes the living worth the while,
So I've got to run around,
Telling people what I've found.
[Refrain]
And when I told them how beautiful you are,
They didn't believe me!
They didn't believe me!
You lips, your eyes, your cheeks, your hair
Are in a class beyond compare,
You're the lovliest girl that one could see!
And when I tell them,
And I certn'ly am goin' to tell them,[1]
That I'm the man whose wife one day you'll be,
They'll never believe me,
They'll never believe me,
That from this great big world you've chosen me!
[Verse]
Don't know how it happen'd quite,
May have been the summer night,
May have been, well, who can say!
Things just happen any way.
All I know is I said "Yes!"
Hesitating more or less,
And you kissed me where I stood,
Just like any fellow would.

G    Em     Am  Am+5 D9     Am7  D7       G    G/F#   E7
And when I told them   how beautiful you are,
     Fdim     Am   Am+5 D9      Am7   D7  G  Am7 alt   G
They didn't believe me,   they didn't believe  me.
     Edim       Am7         Cm           D9
Your lips, your eyes, your cheeks, your hair,
          Bm7    Am7     G
Are in a class beyond compare;
Em6         Bm       Bm+7  Bm7 Bm6  G7   F#7   Bm
You're the loveliest girl      that one could see.

    E7-9   Am   Am+5  D9
And when I tell them,
        D7sus4    D7        G   G/F#  Em    
And I'm certainly going to tell them,
     Em7     Am  Am+5       D9         D7      Dm6   E7
That I'm the man     whose wife you'll one day be,
        E7-9     Am  Am+5 Cm          Cm7     Bm7-5 E7
They'll never believe me,     they'll never believe me,
     E7-9       Am       Am+7         Am7   Am6 Dm7-5   E7
That from this great big world you've cho - sen   me,
     E7-9       Am       Bm7          C     Cm  G6
That from this great big world you've cho - sen me.

------------

A                                  Bm        E  -9                                        A
Got the cutest little way        Like to watch you all the day
 Cdim                               Bm   E   -9                                           A
And it certainly seems fine   Just to think that you'll be mine
  Cdim                                 Bm    E   -9                                             Gbm
When I see your pretty smile Makes the living worth the while
                                Db/ab                       Ebm Ab7 Fm B9       
So I've got to run around   Telling people what I've found


                     Bm           E        E-9 A
And when I told them how beautiful you are
Bbdim                     Bm       E            Amaj
They didn't believe me, they didn't believe me
Cdim                   Bm                     E-9
Your lips, your eyes, your cheeks, your hair
             Dbm                            Gb-9
Are in a class beyond compare
                   Dbm                        Ab-9Dbm

You're the loveliest girl that one could see

 Gb-9           Bbm                         E              A
And when I tell them  And I certainly am goin' to tell them
Cdim            Bm                       E-9  A
That I'm the man whose wife one day you'll be
Gb-9                Bm            Dm                   Dbm            
They'll never believe me,     they'll never believe me
Gb-9                  Bm                      E-9  Amaj Bm  E
That from this great big world you've chosen me