Sting - The night that the pugilist learned how to dance

In the ^Bbmaj7streets around here there was ^Gm7nobody tougher than me,^{Cm7 Cm7 F7sus F7} I was q^Cm7uick with me fists and ^F7susfast with me footwork^F7 as ^Bbmaj7you can plainly ^Bb7/Fsee, ^{Bb6 Bbaug} But while ^Fm7fighting was useful for ^Bb7getting your way, Among the ^Ebmaj7toughs of the town where ^Ebm6you could hold sway, There ^Gmhad to be something^Bb/F that was ^Em7b5better than t^C9his, I was f^F7ifteen years old ^Eb/G and I'd ^Abdim7never been kissed.^F7/A

Well of ^Bbmaj7course she'd ignore me, her f^Gm7riends would all sneer at me, ^Cm7bloody nose dripping and me ^F7suscauliflow’r ear, ^F7 For it's ^Cm7hard to convince in a ^F7susromantic ^F7pose, Bbmaj7 Bb7/F Bb6 Bb+/F With a lovely black eye and a broken nose, Where a ^Fm7girl is attracted to s^Bb7kills more refined, Than the ^Ebmaj7pugilist's art, and ^Ebm6so I inclined, To ^Gmtake meself serio^Bb/Fus as a ^Edim7modern rom^C9ancer, And I ^F7secretly lea^Eb/Grnt all the m^Abdim7oves of a danc^F7/Aer.

You ^Bbmaj7swing to the left, you s^Gm7wing to the right, Keep your ^Cm7eyes on your partner, more or ^F7susless like a fight^F7, You just ^Cm7follow the rhythm, and you k^F7suseep to the beat,^F7 The im^Bbmaj7portant thing's^Bb7/F never to ^Bb6look at your ^Bbaugfeet, Then a ^Fm7miracle happens, your ^Bb7/Fmind's in a trance^Bb7, Though the s^Ebmaj7trategy's subtle, re^Ebm6treat and advance, It’s^Bbmaj7 all about ^Gm7attitude, ^Cm7all in your s^F7tance, A^Dm7ttention to d^Gm7etail, leaving n^Cm7othing to ch^F7ance, Which exp^Dm7lains how the ^Gm7pugilist ^Cm7finally l^F7earned how to ^Bbmaj7dance. ^{Bb7/F Bb6 Bb/F}

Well, I'd ^Bbmaj7waltz with a broomstick and ^Gm7if I was caught, I'd pre^Cm7tend I was sweeping or p^F7susracticing sport,^F7 But I ^Cm7really had eyes for your ^F7susmother ye s^F7ee, Bbmaj7 Bb7/F Bb6 Bb+/F Wanting her to acknowledge this new version of me, But now ^Fm7everyone's watching, ex^Bb7pecting I'll fail, But there's fire in me ^Ebmaj7belly, there's ^Ebm6wind in me sails, I k^Gmnew it was risky^Bb/F and I was ^Edim7taking a chance, ^C9 I ^F7couldn't retreat no^Eb/Gw, I ^Abdim7had to advance. ^F7/ASo I

^Bbmaj7swing to the left, I s^Gm7wing to the right, Keep me ey^Cm7es on me partner, like I ^F7suswould in a fight,^F7 I just ^Cm7keep to the rhythm, and ^F7susfollow the beat,^F7 The im^Bbmaj7portant thing's ^Bb7/Fnever to ^Bb6look at your ^Bbaugfeet, But a ^Fm7miracle’s happened, and your ^Bb7/Fmind's in a trance^Bb7, They’re all ^Ebmaj7laughing and cheering and ^Ebm6looking askance. on the ^Bbmaj7night that the pugi^Gm7list ^Cm7finally ^Fsuslearned how ^F7to ^Bmaj7dance. ^{B7/F# B6 Em/F#}

It's a th^B9ree-minute round and you’re ^G#m7back in your corner, You're ^C#m7licking your wounds just like ^F#suslittle Jack Horner^F#7, Don't ^C#m7let your guard down try a ^F#susjab with your rig^F#7ht, Or you're ^Bmaj7losing on points^B7/F# by the ^B6end of the night^F#sus, Then a ^F#m7miracle happens, and everyone's sc^B7/F#reaming, You're ^Emaj7pinching yourself just in ^Em6case you're still dreaming, You've ^G#mtaken th’ initi^Gaugative, you've ^Fm7b5taken your chance^Em, It's the ^B/D#night when this ^G#m7pugilist ^C#m7finally l^F#m7earned how to ^Fm7b5dance.

^Em In a ^D#m7bout where the s^G#m7trategist’s ^C#m7bridges were burned, ^F#7Where it ^D#m7seemed that his ^G#m7fortune had ^C#m7suddenly turned, ^F#7'Twas the ^D#m7night that this ^G#m7scrapper was suddenly dapper^F#7, This ^Fm7b5poor fellow's h^Emeart was still ^B/D#going like the ^Ddim7clappers, The n^C#m7ight that the pugilist finally ^F#suslearned how ^F#7to d^Bmaj7ance. ^{B7/F# B6 Em/F# Bmaj9}