Theme song of the National Defense Savings Program, 1941.
Words and music by Irving Berlin.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
The tall man with the high hat
And the whiskers on his chin
Will soon be knocking at your door
And you ought to be in
The tall man with the high hat
Will be coming down your way
Get your savings out
When you hear him shout
“Any bonds today?”
Chorus
Any bonds today?
Bonds of freedom that’s what I’m selling
Any bonds today?
Scrape up the most you can
Here comes the freedom man
Asking you to buy a share of freedom today
Any stamps today?
We’ll be blest if we all invest in the U. S. A.
Here comes the freedom man
Can’t make tomorrow’s plan
Not unless you buy a share of freedom today
Interlude
First came the Czechs and then came to Poles
And then the Norwegians with three million souls
Then came the Dutch, the Belgians and France
Then all of the Balkans with hardly a chance
It’s all in the Book if only you look
It’s there if you read the text
They fell ev’ry one at the point of a gun
America mustn’t be next
Chorus
Any bonds today?
All you give will be spent to live in the Yankee way
Scrape up the most you can
Here comes the freedom man
Asking you to buy a share of freedom today
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: