A popular song from 1909
Words by Junie McCree
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Gerd Westendorp:
Lyrics
- Tom Jones left his wife in the house one night
And he started out for a walk
He met a pretty little blonde
And with her began to talk, talk, talk
He took her in to a swell cafe
Ordered wine for the lady fair
He was making love when he looked above
His wife was standing there
Chorus
Did he run? Did he run?
When he got just one good look at her face
He acted like a runner in a Marathon race
Did he run? Did he run?
He broke all records that I recall
For he made four miles in nothing at all
- Pete Green was a man with a lazy way
But as fleet of foot as a deer
Was entered in a ten mile race
On a circle track quite near, near, near
He was too lazy to start that night
So his manager said, “Oh, prunes”
Fire crackers he tied a bunch you see
On Peter’s pantaloons
Chorus
Did he run? Did he run?
Ran-away so fast that in a short while
He lapped himself a couple times the very first mile
Did he run? Did he run?
He turned, ran the other way ’round the track
Went so fast he met himself coming back
- A run to the White House occurred last year
There were two great men in the race
To be President each declared
He would win with ease and grace, grace, grace
They trained each day on a platform that
Would eliminate every graft
Mr. Bryan said, “I’ll come in ahead
There’s too much weight on Taft”
Chorus
Did he run? Did he run?
Up an alley ran Taft which made Bryan cry
The alley was so narrow that he couldn’t pass by
Did he run? Did he run?
He ran to Lincoln where he’ll start to train
For in four more years he will run again
- A ball game was played at the polo grounds
In nineteen hundred and eight
‘Tween the Giants and Cubs one day
And it sealed the Giants’ fate, fate, fate
They had the game in their hands allright
With a man on first and third
Then an hit brought in the tally to win
But Giant’s brain was burred
Chorus
Did he run? Did he run?
Did he run to second as he should that day
Or did this Mr. Giant semi-circle away
Did he run? Did he run?
A play-wright grabbed his ink and quill
And wrote a play called “The Man That Stood Still”
- A milkman once owned a very fast horse
That he drove around every day
To deliver his milk he would
Speed the horse along the way, way, way
He entered him in a stake race
Down at Sheepshead for a purse
Then the milkman bet all that he could get
His horse would come in first
Chorus
Did he run? Did he run?
He started off at a very fast gait
Just like a two year old that didn’t carry any weight
Did he run? Did he run?
He was ahead four lengths until
Someone yelled “Milk,” then the horse stood still
Sung here by Vancha March: