My Melancholy Baby

Words & Music by George A. Norton & Ernie Burnett, 1912
Recorded by Judy Garland, 1954, in "A Star Is Born"


 A                G#7   A            G#7
Come, sweetheart mine, don't sit and pine;

 A      D9       A       Bm7-5      A  Cdim E7
Tell me of the cares that make you feel so blue.

Bm7         Edim   Bm7       Edim
What have I done?  Answer me, Hon;

B7    Bm7-5  B7           Bm7-5    E7
Have I ever said an unkind word to you?

A          G#7   A            G#7
My love is true, and just for you;

A      D9        A        Bm7-5    A  Cdim E7
I'd do al - most an - y - thing at an - y time.

B7            Bm7-5  E7          C#7
Dear, when you sigh  or when you cry,

F#7                   B7             Bm7-5    E7
Some - thing seems to grip this very heart of mine.



Refrain:

A      Cdim  Bm7-5         A   AM7 G7   F#7
Come to me my mel - an - chol - y  ba - by, 

Bm        F#7    Bm   E7-9 Bm7    Bm7/E
Cud - dle up and don't be  blue

E7       Bm7      Bm7-5      Cdim         B9    E7
All your fears are fool - ish fan - cies, may - be

A        AM7       C#m7-5  F#7       D9  Bm7-5  E7
You know dear, that I'm in love with you.

A       Cdim       Bm7-5    A    AM7 G7   F#7
Ev' - ry cloud must have a sil - ver li - ning;

Bm        F#7     Bm   E7-9    Bm7    Bm7/E
Wait un - til the sun shines through.

 D      Cdim       B7    Bm7-5    A      C#m7-5    F#7
Smile my hon - ey, dear, while I kiss a - way each tear,

   Bm7    Bm7/E   Bm7-5       E7-9      A
Or else I shall be mel - an - chol - y too.


A           G#7      A              G#7
Birds in the trees, whis - per - ing breeze,

 A        D9       A      Bm7-5     A     Cdim   E7
Could not fail to lull you in - to peace - ful dreams.

Bm7       Edim Bm7          Edim
So tell me why sad - ly you sigh

B7       Bm7-5    B7                 Bm7-5       E7
Sit - ting at the win - dow where the pale moon beams.

A                 G#7     A            G#7
You should - n't grieve; try and be - lieve

A       D9      A         Bm7-5      A    Cdim   E7
Life is always sun - shine when the heart beats true.

B7         Bm7-5   E7                 C#7
Be of good cheer; smile through your tears;

F#7                 B7              Bm7-5    E7
When you're sad it makes me feel the same as you.



Repeat Refrain:

Originally popularized by Walter Van Brunt, the song was actually introduced under the title "Melancholy" around 1912 and may have been first performed in Colorado. It has been associated with drunken crowds for a couple of reasons. First, an early cabaret performer by the name of Tommy Lyman performed it (typically very late in shows that didn't even begin until midnight) in the 1920s. More to the point, the infamous "Play Melancholy Baby!" line came from the 1954 film "A Star Is Born" and seems to have been associated with the song ever since.

This chart appears here largely due to the request of Thankful Dave.

The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.