The Belle Of Barking Creek

D G E Oh woe is me and alas alak A D A tear roll down my cheek A7 D G E7 As I tell the story of Nelly Clack A D The belle of Barking Creek D G7 E7 Her hair is yellow as the morning sun A7 D Except where the black shows through E7 And her age has been a steady twenty one A7 D Since nineteen fifty two. A E7 A D And all day long she wheels her barrow A And behaves like a good girl ought E A D And she'll only stray from the straight and narrow A When the fleet is home in port D G E For a sailor boy she cannot resist A E7 A7 Her mind and her knees grow weak D E E7 And every matelot for miles has kissed A7 D The belle of Barking Creek Bb Eb Ab One lovely evening when the moon was new Bb7 She stood by the garden gate Eb F7 While idly wondering what to do Bb Eb Poor Nelly met her fate Ab F7 A great big stoker by the name of Bert Bb7 Had come into town that day Eb Ab And he said "cor blimey what a piece of skirt" Bb7 Eb And carried her away Bb Eb And she darned his socks and she fried his bacon Bb7 F7 And she scarcely paused for breath Bb C7 Bb Eb And very soon she was overtaken F7 Bb7 By a fate that is worse than death C7 Eb Ab Then he said I'm going but I'll soon be back Bb7 Bb I'll write to you every week Eb Ab F F7 But I know darn well that Nel-ly Clark Bb7 Eb Is up the Barking Creek