We don’t know exactly what kind of trouble Gil ran into but one might suspect from the first verse it had something to do with those “downtown gals” or perhaps their male “protectors.”
Lyrics:
Capo on second fret
[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, this [G] mornin’ [Em] [G] [Em] ,[G] Tell ol’ [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home this [Am] evenin’[D] [Am] [D] ,[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, [G] Leave them [Em] downtown [Am] gals [D] alone, [G] This mornin’, [Bm] this [Am] evenin’,[D] [G] so soon! [Bm] [Am] [D]
Gil he left by the alley gate, this mornin… Old sal said, “Now, don’t be late.”…
They brought Gil home in a hurry-up wagon, this mornin’, They brought…poor dead Gil–his toes were a-draggin’…
[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, this [G] mornin’ [Em] [G] [Em] ,[G] Tell ol’ [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home this [Am] evenin’[D] [Am] [D] ,[G] Tell old [Em] Gil when [G] he gets [Em] home, [G] Leave them [Em] downtown [Am] gals [D] alone, [G] This mornin’, [Bm] this [Am] evenin’,[D] [G] so soon! [Bm] [Am] [D]
Gil he left by the alley gate, this mornin… Old sal said, “Now, don’t be late.”…
They brought Gil home in a hurry-up wagon, this mornin’, They brought…poor dead Gil–his toes were a-draggin’…
Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.
Tell old Gil when he gets home, this mornin’, Tell ol’ Gil when he gets home, Leave them downtown gals alone, This mornin’, this evenin’, so soon!
Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.
Oh no, it can’t be so, this mornin… Oh no, it can’t be so—Gil he left about an hour ago, This morning, this evening, so soon.