Straighten Up And Fly Right

Words & Music by Nat King Cole & Irving Mills
Recorded by Nat King Cole, 1943


   A             A7            D           F7
A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air,

     A                  F#         F#m7      F7     E7
The monkey thought that ev' - ry - thing was on the square.

     A                A7              D          F7
The buzzard tried to throw the monkey off of his back,

         A                 F#m       F#m7      Bm7-5       E9
But the monkey grabbed his neck and said, "Now list - en, Jack.



Refrain:


 A6                D6
"Straighten up and fly right, 

 A6              Bm7-5 E9
Straighten up and fly right,

 A6               D6
Straighten up and fly right, -- 

A6                          F9       E9
Cool down, Papa, don't you blow your top.

 A6              D6     A6                Bm7-5
Ain't no use in divin', what's the use in drivin'?

  A6             D6
Straighten up and fly right, -- 

A6         F#M             E9   E7    A6
Cool down, Papa, don't you blow your top."



Bridge:


    C#7                  
The buzzard told the monkey, "You are chokin' me;

   F#7                       F#9      G9   F#9
Release your holt and I will set you free."

    B9                             
The monkey looked the buzzard right dead in the eye,

     B7          E9                    Bm7-5       F9      E9
And said, "Your story's so touchin' it sounds just like a lie."



Repeat Refrain:

The lyric and guitar chord transcriptions on this site are the work of The Guitarguy and are intended for private study, research, or educational purposes only. Individual transcriptions are inspired by and and based upon the recorded versions cited, but are not necessarily exact replications of those recorded versions.