a 1925 popular song
words by Billy Rose and Lew Brown
music by Ray Henderson
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- “Your presence is requested”
Wrote little Johnny White
“But with this invitation
There is a stipulation
When you attend this party
You’ll all be treated right
But there’s a wild and wooly woman
You boys can’t invite, now
Chorus
You can bring Pearl, she’s a darn nice girl
But don’t bring Lulu
You can bring Rose with the turned up nose
But don’t bring Lulu
Lulu always want to do
What we boys don’t want her to
When she struts her stuff around
London bridge is falling down
You can bring cake or porterhouse steak
But don’t bring Lulu
Lulu gets blue and she goes “coo-koo”
Like the clock upon the shelf
She’s the kind of smarty
Who breaks up every party
Hullaba loo loo, don’t bring Lulu
I’ll bring her myself
Chorus
You can bring Nan with the old dead pan
But don’t bring Lulu
You can bring Tess with her “no” and “yes”
But don’t bring Lulu
Lulu has the reddest hair
Redder here and redder there
How can we boys keep our head
Bulls go wild when they see red
You can bring pens and crullers and cheese
But don’t bring Lulu
Give her two beers and she tears portiers
And she throws cups off the shelf
When she loves with feeling
The boys all hit the ceiling
Hullaba loo loo, don’t bring Lulu
She’ll come here herself
- We all went to the party
A real hi-toned affair
And then along came Lulu
As wild as any Zulu
She started in to “Charleston”
And how the boys did stare
But when she did the hula hula
Then she got the air, now
(extra choruses, from 1925 78rpm records by Billy Murray, Arthur Fields, and the Happiness Boys)
Chorus
You can bring Flo, cause her pa’s got dough, but don’t bring Lulu (DBL).
You can bring Sal, she’s a good old pal, but DBL.
Lulu thinks she’s doing fine when she sings “Sweet Adeline”;
Oh, but when she hits high C, she drives out the family.
You can bring sweets and pickled pig’s feet, but DBL.
Lulu makes noise, but when she’s with the boys they’re sure to get in Dutch.
She can make a fella wild on sasparilla
Hull-a-ba loo loo, DBL, she talks too darn much.
Chorus
You can bring Claire, with her “I don’t care”, but DBL.
You can bring Lil, she’s an awful pill, but DBL.
Lulu’s got the reddest hair, henna here and auburn there.
How can we boys keep our heads, bulls go wild when they see red.
You can bring ham and crackers and jam, but DBL.
When she gets sore and slams the door, the plates fly off the shelf.
She’s the kind that teases, and then does what she pleases,
Hull-a-ba loo loo, DBL, she goes home alone.
Sung here by Fred Feild: