A popular song from 1933.
Words by Ned Wever.
Music by Milton Ager.
Laurence says, “This is an unbelievably wonderful and timely song! I’ve never heard it, and it’s never been recorded before. I love the cover with Monopoly characters and Eddie Cantor. I wonder if he featured it in any of his revues. I guess it was too accurate in its sardonic humor to become a hit in those days, but maybe it could be revived in the right setting…”
Sheet music provided by Laurence Rubenstein:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Who doesn’t love the good old days?
Who doesn’t think they’re great?
Ah, there’s nothing like the good old days
‘Way back in ‘Twenty-Eight
Oh, how we used to blow our dough
My how we made things hum
What a pity that we’ve had to go
Back where we started from
Chorus
Well, we had a darn good time
Spent a dollar like a dime
We may have the poorhouse hill to climb
But think of the fun we had
Mama’s through with fancy frocks
Papa’s through his only socks
Baby has to play with common stocks
But think of the fun we had
Oh, the poor were rich
We wondered which was which
Judging from the spending done
Oh, we’re still not sure
‘Cause now the rich are poor
But oh, ain’t we had fun
Once we only lived for thrills
Now we live in dread of bills
We’ll be leaving nothing in our wills
But think of the fun we had
- Where is the pent-house in the sky?
Where is the private yacht?
Sing a song of happy days gone by
They’re gone, but not forgot
Where are the joys that money brought?
Where’s that forgotten man?
He’s returning all the things he bought
On the installment plan
Chorus
We got all that money gives
Lived the way a banker lives
Now we have to live with relatives
But think of the fun we had
Ev’ryone was in the know
Played the market, high or low
Now we play the neighbors’ “rad-di-o”
But think of the fun we had
In the days when we got dimes from old John D.
Ah, but wasn’t life sublime
Now the same John D.
When he meets you and me
Says, “Brother, can you spare a dime?”
Wifey once had furs to spare
To keep out the wintry air
Now we buy her nice long underwear
But think of the fun we had
Sung here by Fred Feild: