Whistling Away the Dark

Words & Music by Johnny Mercer & Henry Mancini
Recorded by Henry Mancini, 1969
From the movie "Darling Lili"


Em       B+        Em7      Em6
Often I think this sad, old world

    Em            Am/F#   B7
Is whis - tl - ing in the dark;

B7           B7/6       Cdim      B7
Just like a child, who, late from school,

     Cdim(III) B7              Em
Walks bravely home through the park.

   Am         Am7  (Am6)  Em
To keep their spir - its soaring,

Am/F#        B7       Em
And keep the night at bay,

 Am          Am7            Am7/G        Am/F#
Neither quite knowing which way they are going,

     B7       Am7      B7
They sing the shadows away.



Em       B+      Em7       Em6
Often I think my poor, old heart

    Em      Am/F#    B7
Has gi - ven up for good;

B7        B7/6   Cdim      B7
And then I see a brave new face,

  Cdim(III) B7                   Em
I glimpse some new neigh - bor - hood.

   Am           Am7  (Am6) Em
So walk me back home,  my  dar - ling,

Am/F#          B7          Em
Tell me dreams really come true,

Am         Am/F#  Em       B+   B7         Am7       Em     B+
Whistling,      whistling,    here in the dark with you,

Am        Am/F#   Em       B+  B7         Cdim      Em          
Whistling,      whistling,    here in the dark with you.

There are a few songs that truly deserve the term "haunting melody." This, to me, is one of them. I first heard it years ago on a Mancini album, with full orchestra and chorus -- and I've never been able to get it out of my mind since. But for those many years, I always thought the title was "Whistling in the dark." It isn't. The title above is the correct one.

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.