You Are What You Is Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Intro 1]
[Em][A]
[Em]
[A]
[Em]

[Verse 1]
Do you know what [A]you
are?
You are what you [Em]is
You is what you [A]am
A cow don't make [Em]ham
You ain't what you're [A]not
So see what you [Em]got
You are what you [A]is
An' that's all it [Em]'tis

[Verse 2]
A foolish young [A]man
From a middle class [Em]fam'ly
Started singin' the [A]blues
'Cause he thought it was [Em]manly
Now he talks [A]like the Kingfish
("Saffiiiee! ")
From Amos 'n Andy
[Em]("Holy mack'l dere! Holy
mack'l dere! ")
He tells you [A]that chitlins
(Chitlins!)
Well, they taste just like [Em]candy
He thinks that he's [A]got
De whole thang [Em]down
From [A]the Nivea Lotion
To de Royal [Em]Crown

[Verse 3]
Do you know what you [A]are?
You are what you [Em]is
You is what you [A]am
A cow don't make [Em]ham
You ain't what you're [A]not
So see what you [Em]got
You are what you [A]is
An' that's all it [Em]'tis

[Verse 4]
A foolish young [A]man
Of the Negro Per[Em]suasion
Devoted his [A]life
To become a [Em]caucasian
He stopped eating [A]pork
He stopped eating [Em]greens
[A]He traded his dashiki
("Uhuru! ")
For some Jord[Em]ache Jeans
He learned to play [A]golf
An' he got a good [Em]score
Now he says to [A]himself
"I ain't [Em]no NIGGER no
more!
Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"I don't understand you..."
BWANA MA- COO- BAH
"Would you please speak
more clearly..."
MERCEDES BAINNNNNNNZ
Who is who (I don't know)

[Verse 5]
'N what is what
[A]
(Somethin' I just don't
know)
'N why is this
(Tell me now)
Appropriot
(That's a funny pronunciation
If'n ever I heard one)
If you don't like
(Where'd you get that word?)
What you has got
[Em](Appropriot? The word is not)
Drop it in the dirt
(Drop it, yeah)
'N let it rot
(I can smell it now)
Someone [A]else
(Here de come, here de come)
Will surely come
[Em](I told you he was comin')
[A]'N pick it up
(Yeah, that's right!)
'Cause he wants some
[Em](An' he wants it for free)
And when one day
(There will come [A]a day)
You wonder who
(I wonder too)
[Em]You used to was
(Who I was anyway)
'N what you [A]do
(I used to work at the post
office)
You'll scratch your head
(But I don't wanna
un- do my doo)
'N look around
(To see what's goin' on)
But what you lost
(Can't seem to find it)
Will not [Em]be found
(A Mercedes Benz)

[Verse 6]
Do you [Em]know what you are?
(I know)
You are what you [A]is
(I'm the kinda guy)
You is what you am
(That ought to be drivin')
A cow don't make a ham
(A four- fifty SLC)
You ain't what you're not
(A big ol' red one)
[Em]So see what you got
(With some golf clubs
stickin' out de trunk)
You are what you [A]is
(I'm gwine down to de links on
Saturday mornin')
An' that's all it [Em]is
(Gimme a five- dollar bill)
You are [A]what you is
(And an overcoat too)
An' that's all it is
(Where's my waitress? Yeah)
You are what you is
(Robbie, take me to Greek
Town)
[Em]An' that's all it is
(I'm harder than yer husband
[A]Harder than yer husband)
You are what you is
(I'm goin' down to White Street,
to the Mudd Club, y'all)
An' that's all it is
(I'm goin' down 'n work the wall
'N work [Em]the floor)
You are what you is
('N work the pipe
'N work the wall
some more)
An' that's all it is
[A]