← Back to library

Big Man On Mulberry Street

Billy Joel

RockAdvanced for beginners18 chords

How to play it

Fingering diagrams for the shapes in this song. × = don't play, ○ = open string.

G7○○○
F13Diagram coming soon
Bbmaj7Diagram coming soon
C×○○
F
Em7○○○○○
A×○○
Bm7Diagram coming soon
Am×○○
D9Diagram coming soon
Dm××○
Dmaj7Diagram coming soon
Dm7Diagram coming soon
Am7×○○○
Emaj7Diagram coming soon
C6Diagram coming soon
F#m7Diagram coming soon
D××○

Chords & lyrics

Chord names sit directly above the word where you change.

Text size
 
              G7  F13  x 4 
 
G7          Bbmaj7  C/F 
 Why can't I lay low 
G7           Bbmaj7     C/F 
 Why can't I say what I mean 
G7          Bbmaj7 C/F 
 Why don't I stay home 
G7              Bbmaj7    C/F       Em7 
 And get myself into some boring routine 
 
Em7          A    Bm7 
 Why can't I calm down 
Em7        A        Bm7 
 Why is it always a fight 
Em7          A  Bm7 
 I can't get unwound 
Em7       Am           D9/sus4   G7     F13 
 Why do I throw myself into the night 
 
G7  F13 x 3 
 
G7          Bbmaj7  C/F 
 I'm on the outside 
G7           Bbmaj7   C/F 
 I don't fit into the groove 
G7            Bbmaj7  C/F 
 Now I ain't a bad guy 
G7          Bbmaj7    C/F       Em7 
 So tell me what am I trying to prove 
 
Em7          A    Bm7 
 Why can't I cool out 
Em7          A         Bm7 
 Why don't I button my lip 
Em7       A    Bm7 
 Why do I lash out 
Em7        Am       D9/sus4         Dm 
 Why is it I always shoot from the hip 
 
Dm                       Dmaj7/2+ 
I cruise from Houston to canal street 
               Dm7     Bm7/b5 
A misfit and a rebel 
Dm                              Dmaj7/2+ 
 I see the winds talking to themselves 
               Dm7     Bm7/b5 Em7/4- 
And I can understand 
Am7                        Emaj7 
 Why is it every time I go out 
                        C6      F#m7/b5 
I always seem to get in trouble 
Am7                              Am/D 
 I guess I made an impression on somebody 
                             G7     F13 
North of Hester and south of grand 
 
G7  F13 x 3 
 
G7           Bbmaj7 C/F 
 And so in my small way 
G7                Bbmaj7   C/F 
 I'm a big man on Mulberry street 
G7           Bbmaj7 C/F 
 I don't mean all day 
G7       Bbmaj7         C/F         Em7 
 Only at night when I'm light on my feet 
 
Em7             A  Bm7 
 What else have I got 
Em7          A         Bm7 
 That I'd be trying to hide 
Em7      A     Bm7 
 Maybe a blind spot 
Em7        Am            D9/sus4    Dm 
 I haven't seen from the sensitive side 
 
Dm   Dmaj7/2+  Dm7  Bm7/b5 
Dm  Dmaj7/2+ Dm7 Bm7/b5 Em7/4- 
Am7  Emaj7   C6   F#m7/b5 
Am7  Am/D 
 
G7  F13  x 4 
 
G7                 Bbmaj7 C/F 
 But you know in my own heart 
G7                Bbmaj7   C/F 
 I'm a big man on Mulberry street 
G7         Bbmaj7 C/F 
 I play the whole part 
G7         Bbmaj7       C/F     Em7 
 I leave a big tip with every receipt 
 
Em7       A  Bm7 
 I'm so romantic 
Em7         A          Bm7 
 I'm such a passionate man 
Em7          A Bm7 
 Sometimes I panic 
Em7        Am         D9/sus4    G7   F13 
 What if nobody finds out who I am 
 
G7  F13 
Repeat and Fade out

Details

Rating

Not rated yet

Chord set

G7 · F13 · Bbmaj7 · C · F · Em7 · A · Bm7 · Am · D9 · Dm · Dmaj7 · Dm7 · Am7 · Emaj7 · C6 · F#m7 · D

Practice tip

Loop the first two chords slowly until the change is clean, then add the rest.