Songs of Tin Pan Alley

 

Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay!  (Henry J. Sayers, 1891)

 

A smart and stylish girl you see,

Belle of good society:

Not too strict, but rather free,

Yet as right as right can be!

Never forward, never bold--

Not too hot and not too cold,

But the very thing, I'm told,

That in your arms you'd like to hold!

 

Chorus

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

 

I'm not extravagantly shy,

And when a nice young man is nigh,

For his heart I have a try--

And faint away with tearful cry!

When the good young man, in haste,

Will support me round the waist:

I don't come to, while thus embraced,

Till of my lips he steals a taste!

 

Chorus

 

I'm a timid flow'r of innocence,

Pa says that I have no sense--

I'm one eternal big expense; 

But men say that I'm just immense!

Ere my verses I conclude,

I'd like it known and understood,

Tho' free as air, I'm never rude--

I'm not too bad and not too good!

 

Chorus

 

Sometimes Pa says, with a frown,

"Soon you'll have to settle down--

Have to wear your wedding gown--

Be the strictest wife in town!"

Well, it must come by and by--

When wed, to keep quiet I'll try;

But till then I shall not sigh,

I shall still go in for my--

 

Chorus

 

 

Daisy Bell (Harry Dacre, 1892)

 

                There is a flower within my heart, Daisy, Daisy!

                Planted one day by a glancing dart,

                Planted by Daisy Bell!

                Whether she loves me or loves me not,

                Somtimes it's hard to tell;

                Yet I am longing to share the lot

                Of Beautiful Daisy Bell!

 

                [Chorus] Daisy, Daisy, Give me your answer, do!

                I'm half crazy, All for the love of you!

                It won't be a stylish marriage,

                I can't afford a carriage,

                But you'll look sweet on the seat

                Of a bicycle built for two!

 

               Chorus

 

                We will go "tandem" as man and wife, Daisy, Daisy!

                Ped'ling away down the road of life,

                I and my sweet Daisy Bell!

                When the road's dark we can both despise

                P'liceman and "lamps" as well;

                There are "bright lights" in the dazzling eyes

                Of beautiful Daisy Bell.

 

                I will stand by you in "wheel" or woe, Daisy, Daisy!

                You'll be the bell(e) which I'll ring, you know!

                Sweet little Daisy Bell!

                You'll take the "lead" in each "trip" we take,

                Then if I don't do well;

                I will permit you to use the break, My beautiful Daisy Bell!

 

                Chorus

 

A Hot Time in the Old Town (Words by Joe Hayden; Music by Theo. A. Metz, 1896)

 

                Come along get you ready wear your bran, bran new gown,

                For dere's gwine to be a meeting in that good, good old town,

                Where you knowded ev'ry body, and dey all knowded you,

                And you've got a rabbits foot to keep away de hoo-do;

                When you hear that preaching does begin,

                Bend down low for to drive away your sin and when you gets religion,

                You want to shout and sing, there'll be a hot time in the old town tonight by baby.

 

                [Chorus] When you hear dem a bells go ding, ling ling,

                All join 'round

                And sweetly you must sing, and when the verse am through,

                In the chorus all join in, there'll be a hot time in the old town tonight.

 

                There'll be girls for ev'ry body in that good, good old town,

                For dere's Miss Consola Davis and dere's Miss Gondolia Brown;

                And dere's Miss Johanna Beasly she am dressed all in red,

                I just hugged her and I kissed her and to me than she said:

                Please oh, please, oh, do not let me fall,

                You're all mine and I love you best of all, and you must be my man,

                Or I'll have no man at all,

                there'll be a hot time in the old town tonight, my baby.

 

                Chorus

 

Hello! Ma Baby.  (Howard and Emerson, 1899)

 

I'se got a little baby, but she's out of sight,

I talk to her across the telephone;

I'se never seen my honey but she's mine, all right;

So take my tip, an' leave this gal alone--

Ev'ry single morning you will hear me yell,

"Hey Central! Fix me up along the line."

He connects me with ma honey, then I rings the bell,

And this is what I say to baby mine,

 

Chorus

"Hello! ma baby, Hello! ma honey

Hello! ma ragtime gal,

Send me a kiss by wire,

Baby my heart's on fire!

If you refuse me, Honey, you'll lose me,

Then you'll be left alone;

Oh, baby, telephone and tell me I'se your own

 

This morning, thro' the 'phone, she said her name was Bess,

And now I kind of know where I am at;

I'se satisfied because I'se got my babe's address,

Here pasted in the lining of my hat

I am mighty scared 'cause if the wires get crossed,

'Twill separate me from ma baby mine,

Then some other coon will win her,

And my game is lost,

And so each day I should along the line,

 

Chorus

 

 

Under the Bamboo Tree (Bob Cole, 1902)

 

Down in the jungles lived a maid,

                Of royal blood though dusky shade,

A marked impression once she made

                Upon a Zulu from Matabooloo;

And ev'ry morning he would be

                Down underneath a bamboo tree

Awaiting there his love to see

                Ahd then to her he'd sing:

 

Chorus

If you lak-a-me, lak I lak-a-you

And we lak-a-both the same,

I lak-a say, this very day,
I lak-a-change your name;

'Cause I love-a-you and love-a-you true

And if you-a love-a me

One live as two, two live as one

Under the bamboo tree.

 

 . . .

 

This little story strange but true,

Is often told in Mataboo

Of how this Zulu tried to woo

His jungle lady in tropics shady;

Although the scene was miles away,

Right here at home I dare to say,

You'll hear some Zulu ev'ry day,

Gush out this soft refrain.

 

(Chorus)

 

In My Merry Oldsmobile (Bryan and Edwards, 1905)

 

Young Johnnie Steele has an Oldsmobile,

He loves a dear little girl,

She is the queen of his gas machine,

She has his heart in a whirl.

Now when they go for a spin, you know,

She tries to learn the auto, so

He lets her steer while he gets her ear,

And whispers soft and low;

 

Chorus

Come away with me Lucile

In my merry Oldsmobile

Down the road of life we'll fly

Automobubbling you and I.

To the church we'll swiftly steal,

Then our wedding bells will peal,

You can go as far as like with me

In my merry Oldsmobile.

 

They love to spark in the dark old park,

As they go flying along,

She says she knows why the motor goes;

The sparker's awfully strong.

Each day they spoon to the engine's tune,

Their honeymoon will happen soon,

He'll win Lucile with his Oldsmobile

And then he'll fondly croon;

 

Chorus