Merchants Lunch

Intro: Em 


[Verso 1]

Em 
I took a walk 
       Em 
He was walkin' up and down Broadway 
      Em 
I was lookin' 
       Em 
Had an eye out for a swell café 
      Am 
I was hungry 
       Am 
He was soundin' for a bite to munch 
          Em 
I found a spot 
          Em 
He took a table at the Merchant's Lunch 
        B7 
Oh, the Merchant's Lunch, it was an ocean of gloom 
               Em 
It looked like half past midnight in the afternoon 


[Verso 2]

            Em 
Down by the bar 
            Em 
A rat-faced manager was pourin' suds 
        Em 
For the boys 
             Em 
Well-dressed cowboys in their goodwill duds 
        Am 
And the girls 
           Am 
A pride of pedal-pushin' pinball queens 

Chewin' gum 
   Em 
In sweaty combat at the wizard machine 
        B7 
But the queen of them all lookin' big as a forge 
    Em 
Was Broadway Brenda and her derelict corps 


[Verso 3]

A 
I ordered a blue plate special 
    D 
And peered out through the gloom 
        B7                                        Em 
Just to see what class of citizens inhabited this gloom 
        C                          F   C       F 
And the hapless visages I saw were innocent of cheer 
       D 
Though mirthless laughter filled the air 
   G        D        G    A 
Inspired by wine and beer 

Instrumental: | Dm | % | % | % | Gm | % | Dm | % | A7 | % | Dm | % | x2 


[Verso 4]

A                                D         A        D 
From these helpless accidents of fortune's careless aim 
B7                            Em          B7       Em 
Broadway Brenda rose upon her twin-sized, six-foot frame 
  C              Am       Cm       F         C       F 
I turned away to shun her eyes but I knew it was too late 
  D                                              G      B7 
A hand fell on my shoulder as my gaze fell on my plate 


[Verso 5]

  Em 
I looked her up and over 
        Em 
And she did the same to me 
               Em 
Her teeth were green 
   Em 
As green as garden peas 
               Am 
She shaked her hair 
     Am 
With dish pan fingertips 
   Em 
An earthquake of excitement 
          Em 
Shook her Krakatoan hips 
    B7 
Her hands went to her bosom 
  B7 
A hush fell on the crew 
   Em 
An acre of Brenda lay exposed to view 


[Verso 6]

      Em 
These fevered words, she whispered 
      Em 
As he gazed upon the scene 
        Em 
'It's a custom here at Merchant's Lunch 
   Em 
To entertain the queen' 
             Am 
I grabbed my hat 
           Am 
And, in an instant, he was on his feet 
      Em 
I was sober as a judge 
            Em 
Down at the county seat 
            B7 
He kept his diesel up to eighty 
         B7 
Way past Baton Rouge 
Em                                             Fm 
Made it back to Beaumont for the evening news 


[Verso 7]

          Fm 
He owns a wide-load rig 
      Fm 
I pay thousands in tax 
           Fm 
He's gonna keep it in Texas 
        Fm 
I ain't leavin' for snacks 
       Bbm 
He's a drivin' fool 
    Bbm 
The interstate belongs to me 
         Fm 
But I am never goin' back 
         Fm 
Into the state of Tennessee 
        C7 
Oh, the Merchant's Lunch, it was an ocean of gloom 
               Fm                             Db   Fm 
It looked like half past midnight in the afternoon