instrumental intro = Verse 1
D G D
1. The festival was over and the boys were all plannin’ for a fall,
D G D
the cabaret was quiet, except for the drilling in the wall.
G D A D
The curfew had been lifted and the gambling wheel shut down,
G D A
anyone with any sense had already left town,
D A G A - D
he was standing in the doorway, looking like the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
2. He moved across the mirrored room, “Set it up for everyone”, he said,
D G
then everyone commenced to do what they were doin’
D
before he turned their heads.
G D A D
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin,
G D A
“Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?”
D A G A - D
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
3. Backstage the girls were playing five-card stud by the stairs,
D G D
Lily had two queens, she was hoping for a third to match her pair.
G D A D
Outside the streets were filling up, the window was open wide,
G D A
a gentle breeze was blowing, you could feel it from inside,
D A G A - D
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
4. Big Jim was no one’s fool, he owned the town’s only diamond mine,
D G D
he made his usual entrance, looking so dandy and so fine.
G D A D
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place,
G D A
he took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste,
D A G
but his bodyguards and silver cane were no match
A - D
for the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
5. Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town,
D G D
she slipped in thru’ the side door, looking like a queen without a crown.
G D A D
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear,
G D A
“Sorry, darling, that I’m late,” but he didn’t seem to hear,
D A G A - D
he was starin’ into space, over at the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
6.”I know I’ve seen that face somewhere”, Big Jim was thinking to himself,
D G D
maybe down in Mexico or a picture upon somebody’s shelf.
G D A D
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim,
G D A
and in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him,
D A G A - D
starin’ at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
7. Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child,
D G
she did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash
D
every time she smiled.
G D A D
She had come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs,
G D A
with men in every walk of life which took her everywhere,
D A G A - D
but she’d never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
8. The hangin’ judge came in, unnoticed and was being wined and dined,
D G D
the drillin’ in the wall kept up, but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
G D A D
It was known all around that Lily had Jim’s ring,
G D A
and nothing would ever come between Lily and the King,
D A G A - D
no, nothing ever would, except maybe the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
9. Rosemary started drinkin’ hard, and seein’ her reflection in the knife,
D G D
she was tired of the attention, tired of playing the role of Big Jim’s wife.
G D A D
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide,
G D A
was looking to do just one good deed before she died,
D A G A - D
she was gazing to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
10. Lily took her dress off, buried it away,
D
“Has your luck run out?” she laughed at him,
G D
“well, I guess you must have known it would someday.
G D A D
Be careful not to touch the wall, there’s a brand new coat of paint,
G D A
I’m glad to see you’re still alive, you’re looking like a saint.”
D A G A - D
Down the hallway footsteps were coming for the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
11. The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair,
D G D
“There’s something funny going on”, he said, “ I can just feel it in the air.”
G D A D
He went to get the hangin’ judge, but the hangin’ judge was drunk,
G D A
as the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk,
D A G A - D
there was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
12. No one knew the circumstance, but they say it happened very quick,
D G D
the door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked.
G D A D
And Big Jim was standing there, you couldn’t say surprised,
G D A
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes,
D A G A - D
she was with Big Jim but she was leaning to the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
13. Two doors down, the boys finally made it through the wall,
D G D
and cleaned out the bank safe, it’s said they got off with quite a haul.
G D A D
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground,
G D A
for one more member who had business back in town,
D A G A - D
but they couldn’t go no further without the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
14. The next day was hangin’ day, the sky was overcast and black,
D G D
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back.
G D A D
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn’t even blink,
G D A
the hangin’ judge was sober, he hadn’t had any drink,
D A G A - D
the only person on the scene missing was the Jack of Hearts.
D G D
15. The cabaret was empty now, a sign said “Closed for repair”,
D G D
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair.
G D A D
She was thinking about her father who she very rarely saw,
G D A
thinkin’ about Rosemary and thinkin’ about the law,
D A G A - D
but most of all she was thinkin’ about the Jack of Hearts.
+ instrumental = verse 15