Arthur Murray Taught Me Dancing In A Hurry
Words & Music by Victor Schertzinger & Johnny Mercer
Recorded by Betty Hutton, 1942
From the Movie "The Fleet's In


  A          E               G
Life was so peaceful at the laundry,

Gdim         D          B7
Life was so calm and serene.

G        G/F# Edim E7/6 E7   A  F#m  B7
Life was trés gay  til  that unlucky day

  Cdim                 Bm7-5       E7           
I happened to read that mag - a - zine.

 A         E          G
Why did I read that advertisement

          D9           Dm6                       A
Where it said, “When I rumba, Jim thinks I'm sublime”?

D       Dm6 Fdim   A     B7
Why, oh why, did I ever try?

  F#m    C#7      F#m       F#m    C#7      F#m
I didn't have the talent, I didn't have the money,

    B7         Cdim           E7
And teacher did not have the time. Boy!


E7      A                D9           A
Arthur Murray taught me dancing in a hurry.

E7      Gdim      E7
I had a week to spare;

   D9            E7              Fdim(III)      E7
He showed me the ground work, the  walk - a - round work,

D9        E7/6 E7 E7/6  A
And told me to take it from there.


E7      A           D9                A
Arthur Murray then advised me not to worry,

E7           Gdim      E7
It would come out all right.

   D9         E7         Fdim(III)    E7
To my way of thinkin', it  came  out stinkin' --

D9              E7/6  E7  E7/6  A
I don't know my left from  my right.

     D       Dm6        A             A          D9        A
The people around me can all sing, “A-one and a-two and a-three.”

D      Dm6          F#m        B7    Cdim  E7
Any resemblance to waltzin' is just coincidental with me.


E7      A                D9           A
Arthur Murray taught me dancing in a hurry,

E7       Gdim     E7
And so I take a chance.

   D9      E7         Fdim(III)     E7
To me it resembles the  nine - day trembles,

    D7        Dm7 Fdim  E7  A
But he guarantees  it's a  dance.


Coda:

E7      A           A7                D               Dm6
Turkey trot, or gavotte, don't know which, don't know what,

E7     A         A7           D         Dm6
Jitterbug, bunny hug, long as you cut a rug,

E7        A           A7          D           Dm6
Walk the dog, do the clog, Lindy Hop til you drop,

 E7      A              A7             D               Dm6
Ball the jack, back to back, cheek to cheek til you're weak,

        D9         E7        Fdim(III)    E7
You've heard of Pavlova, well, Jack, move over,

     D            Dm6  E       A
Make way for the queen of the dance.



*Thanks to lyrics guru Ron Hontz for helping me sort out the parts that I couldn't!