verse 1 
  C     F      C       F           C          F        C 
I never really fell in love till I went up to Fakenham Fair 
G     C              F           C        F      C           G       C 
And I chanced for to meet with a carnival girl a-selling the chances there 
  F                     C                  F          G 
I tried for a lamp or a Spanish shawl or a golden filigree 
    C       F         C         F            C           G         C 
But all the while her eyes were saying, “Oh! Come take a chance on me.” 
 

[Refrão]
   F                C 
So swing around the merry-go-round. 
         F                  G 
Give the wheel of fortune a whirl, 
        C      F        C        F 
For the finest prize at Fakenham Fair 
       C      G        C 
Is the pretty carnival girl. 

verse 2 
    C         F         C           F             C              F        C 
Her eyes were blue, her hair it was brown and her lips they were soft and red 
G     C          F          C     F           C              G              C 
And a shape like hers I had never seen and my eyes well they popped from my head 
    F               C                  F            G 
But I was young and innocent but still even I could see 
         C       F           C             F             C           G         C 
That the way she laughed and she winked my way it said, “Come take a chance on me.” 


[Refrão]
   F                     C 
So swing around that old merry-go-round. 
         F                  G 
Give the wheel of fortune a whirl, 
    C      F        C        F 
The finest prize at Fakenham Fair 
       C      G        C 
Is the pretty carnival girl. 

verse 3 
    C         F          C         F             C             F          C 
The old folks said, “She ain't for you, boy, oh, what will the old people think?” 
G     C       F          C          F            C           G         C 
But I took my chance and I won that girl just as quick as an eye could wink 
        F                C            F                G 
And the very best day in all my life, whatever come to pass, 
        C          F          C        F          C        G        C 
Was the day that I went up to Fakenham Fair and I won me a carnival lass. 


[Refrão]
   F                     C 
So swing around that old merry-go-round. 
         F                  G 
Give the wheel of fortune a whirl, 
    C      F        C        F 
The finest prize at Fakenham Fair 
       C      G        C 
Is the pretty carnival girl.