G
If a man staggers by
And he gives you the eye
                                  D
and he calls you his very best chum

If he hands you a lime
And begs for a dime
             D7                G
You've just met ol' benny the bum

[Chorus]
D                                G
Oh Benny the Bum you can't afford rum
                          D
you ain't got no place to go
So you spend your time with a bottle of wine
                                 G
in a flophouse way down on skid row

[Verse 2]
G
From where do you hail
Maybe just out of jail
                                   D
What new strange lands have you seen
Your clothes are all tar from a railway boxcar
                 D7                G
And your blue molded tie is all green

[Chorus]
G
Oh Benny the bum why should you be glum
                                             D
When youre brand new pair of shoes are a gold
Well one show is brown and the other one's black
                      D7                 G
you're in style way down here on skid row

[Verse 3]
G
Now the cop on this beat
He's about seven feet
                                  D
And he just won't leave Benny alone
                                                         D7             G
He thinks its fun to see Benny run and his wine bottles smash on the stone

G
But who'd ever dream Benny was seeing
The girl of his dreams long ago
                   D
And god bid her come
                                              D7         G
And leave benny the bum to live in memories down on skid row

[Chorus]
D                                G
Oh Benny the Bum you can't afford rum
                          D
you ain't got no place to go
So you spend your time with a bottle of wine
                                 G
in a flophouse way down on skid row

[Outro]
N.C.
He spends his time in a flophouse way down on skid row