I’ve been a (Bbm)way from you a (Fm)long time.
I nev er (G7)thought I’d (Bbm7)miss you (Fm)so.
(Bb)Some how I (Fm)feel
(Bb)your love was (Fm)real.
(Fm)Near you I long to (C)be.
The birds are (Bbm)sing ing, it is (Fm)song time,
the ban jos (G7)strum min’ (Bbm7)soft and (Fm)low.
(Bb)I know that (Fm)you
(Bb)yearn for me (Fm)too.
(Fm)Swan ee, I long to (C)be.
you’re call ing (Fm)me.
(F)Swan
ee,
(F)how I love you, how I love you, (Bb)my
(Gm7)dear (C9)old (F)Swan ee;
(C)I’d (F)give (C7)the (F)world
(Db7)to
(C9)be
(Gm)a (D7)mong (Db7)the (C9)folks
(C7)in
(F)D I X I (C7)E ven though my (F)mam
my’s
(F)wait ing for me, pray ing for me (Bb)down
(Gm7)by (C9)the (F)Swan ee.
(C)The (F)folks (C7)up (F)north
(F)will
(Bb)see me (Bb)no more
(F#dim)when (C7)I go to the Swan ee shore.
(F)Swan
ee,
(F)how I love you, how I love you, (Bb)my
(Gm7)dear (C9)old (F)Swan ee;
(C)I’d (F)give (C7)the (F)world
(Db7)to
(C9)be
(Gm)a (D7)mong (Db7)the (C9)folks
(C7)in
(F)D I X I (C7)E ven though my (F)mam
my’s
(F)wait ing for me, pray ing for me (Bb)down
(Gm7)by (C9)the (F)Swan ee.
(C)The (F)folks (C7)up (F)north
(F)will
(Bb)see me (Bb)no more
(F#dim)when (C7)I go to the Swan ee shore.
(I’ll be hap py, I’ll be hap py.) (C7)Swan ee,
(F)Swan ee,
(C7)I am com ing back to (F)Swan ee,
(C7)Mam my,
(F)Mam my,
I (F)love the (G9)old (C7)folks at (F)home.
(C7)Swan ee,
(F)Swan ee,
(C7)I am com ing back to (F)Swan ee,
(C7)Mam my,
(F)Mam my,
I (F)love the (G9)old (C7)folks at (F)home.
(F)home.
This page shows “Swanee” by George Gershwin in our color-coded kid songbook view — every note is colored by pitch (red C, orange D, yellow E, green F, blue G, purple A, pink B) and the lyrics sit directly under each note, so children can sing along while they play. The song is in the key of Bb at 196 BPM, a comfortable easy-level arrangement perfect for first-time learners.