part of Irving Berlin’s 1922 “Music Box Revue”
Words and music by Irving Berlin
The sheet music:
Accompaniment:
Lyrics
Snappy music is the only music
That was ever meant for me
A little spice is very nice, in every melody
Let me mingle with a peppy jingle
That the jazz bands love to play
I’m a swifty, very nifty, that’s why I say
Chorus
Bring on the pepper, we need a lot of pepper
You’ve got to be a stepper with a barrel of speed
Make ’em think you’re happy
Though you’re ready to die
When you begin it, put lots of ginger in it
About a mile a minute is the tempo we need
Slow folks are no folks
To trouble with no indeed
Lots of pep will make an undertaker
Rock with joy and laughter
If you can sprinkle a cute little twinkle
You’ll find that’s the wrinkle we’re after
Just keep a-goin’, and don’t forget to throw in
A bit of Georgie Cohan that we know
Lots of tabasco, that’s all we ask so
Bring on the pepper, let’s go
Sung here by Fred Feild: