Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts
They had a quarrel one day
Johnny thought he would leave her
He said he was goin' away, never comin' home
Goin' away to roam

Frankie, she begged and she pleaded
'My love, Johnny, please stay
Oh, my honey, I've done you wrong
But please don't go away'
Then Johnny sighed while Frankie cried

I'm goin' away, I'm goin' to stay
And never comin' home
Gonna miss me, honey, in the days to come
When the winter winds begin to blow
The ground is covered up

And when you think of the way
You're gonna want me back, your lovin' man
You're gonna miss me, honey
In the day they say is to come

Well, Frankie said to her Johnny
'Now your hour done, come'
'Cause underneath her silk kimono
She drew her forty-four gun
These love affairs are hard to bear

Johnny, he fled down the stairway
'My love, Frankie, don't shoot'
Frankie done aimed that forty-four
And the gun went rooty-toot-toot
Johnny fell, then Frankie yelled

I'm goin' away, I'm goin' to stay
And never comin' home
You're gonna miss me, honey, in the days to come
When the winter winds begin to blow
The ground is covered up

And when you think of the way
You're gonna want me back, your lovin' man
You're gonna miss me, honey
In the day they say is to come

Send for your rubber tired hearses
Send for your rubber tired hack
Carry old Johnny to the graveyard
I've shot him in the back with a great big gun
As the preacher begun

Send for some policeman to take me right away
Lock me down in the dungeon cell
And throw the key away
My Johnny's dead because he said

I'm goin' away, I'm goin' to stay
And never comin' home
You're gonna miss me, honey, in the days to come
When the winter winds begin to blow
The ground is covered up

And when you think of the way
You're gonna want me back, your lovin' man
You're gonna miss me, honey
In the day they say is to come
You're gonna miss me, honey
In the day they say is to come