F                F°                  C7             F7
              I'VE BEEN A-ROUND THE WORLD, YOU BET, BUT NEV-ER WENT TO SCHOOL.
                    Bb               D7               Gm        D7     Gm
               HARD KNOCKS ARE ALL I SEEM TO GET, PER-HAPS I'VE BEEN A FOOL;
                    C7               F                 C7             F
                BUT STILL, SOME ED-U-CA-TED FOLKS, SUP-POSED TO BE SO SWELL,
                      D7      D7°  Ab7  C         A7   D7      Dm7  G7 C  C° C7
                WOULD FAIL IF THEY WERE CALLED UP-ON A SIM-PLE WORD TO SPELL.
                          C7                   C°          C7
                          NOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO PUT ME TO A TEST,
                     C7                         G9              C7  C° C7
                     THERE'S ONE DEAR NAME THAT I CAN SPELL THE BEST:

                        F           F°             C7                F7
                   WHEN I WAS BUT A BA-BY, LONG BE-FORE I LEARNED TO WALK,
                       Bb           D7               Gm     D7      Gm
                  WHILE LY-ING IN MY CRA-DLE, I WOULD TRY MY BEST TO TALK;
                   C7              F                C7                 F
                IT WAS-N'T LONG BE-FORE I SPOKE AND ALL THE NEIGH-BORS HEARD,
                    D7         D7°   C        A7      D7       Dm7 G7  C  C°  C7
                 MY FOLKS WERE VER-Y PROUD OF ME FOR "MOTH-ER" WAS THE WORD.
                        C7                    C°             C7
                        AL-THOUGH I'LL NEV-ER LAY A CLAIM TO FAME,
                        C7                   G9              C7  C°  C7
                        I'M SAT-IS-FIED THAT I CAN SPELL THE NAME;

                         F       C7  F°  F        F°         Gm7  C7
                    "M" IS FOR THE MIL-LION THINGS SHE GAVE ME,
                           C7        C° C7                     F
                     "O" MEANS ON-LY THAT SHE'S GROW-ING OLD,
                         F      Am  F7  Bb              Db7 F    D7
                   "T" IS FOR THE TEARS WERE SHED TO  SAVE ME,
                            G7  Dm7 G7  Dm7 G7       Dm  D°  C7  Bb°  C7
                      "H" IS  FOR HER HEART OF PUR-EST GOLD,
                          F      C7  F°  F         F°         Gm7  C7
                    "E" IS FOR HER EYES WITH LOVE-LIGHT SHIN-ING,
                           C7        C°    C7                  Gm6  A Cm6 D7
                     "R" MEANS RIGHT AND RIGHT SHE'LL AL-WAYS BE,
                         D°              Db7                F Cm6 D7
                         PUT THEM ALL TO-GE-THER THEY SPELL MOTH- ER,
                             D7 Gm   D7   Gm    D7  G7    C7 F
                             A  WORD THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME

                             F      C7  F°  F      F°      Gm  C7
                       "M" IS FOR THE MER-CY SHE POS-SES-SES,
                               C7        C°   C7               F
                        "O" MEANS THAT I  OWE HER ALL I OWN,
                             F      Am  F7  Bb            Db7 F   D7
                      "T" IS FOR HER TEN-DER SWEET CA- RES-SES,
                              G7  Dm7 G7  Dm7 G7         Dm   D° C7
                       "H" IS  FOR HER HANDS THAT MADE A  HOME;
                           F         C7  F° F           F°      Gm7  C7
                     "E" MEANS EV-'RY-THING SHE'S DONE TO HELP ME,
                               C7        C°   C7             Gm6 A Cm6 D7
                        "R" MEANS REAL AND REG-U-LAR, YOU SEE,
                           Dm              Db7                F Cm6 D7
                           PUT THEM ALL TO-GE-THER THEY SPELL MOTH- ER,
                               D7 Gm   D7   Gm    D7  G7    C7 F
                               A  WORD THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME