A popular song from 1904.
Words and music by Harry Wellmon.
The sheet music:
Money Was Made For Coons To Spend – Sheet Music
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Money_Was_Made_For_Coons_To_Spend – MIDI
Lyrics
1. A swell coon came from ‘Frisco
With a trunk chuck full of gold
He brought his auto with him
At the Waldorf he enrolled
His bus’ness card was a twenty dollar gold piece
Was the only kind he used
He paid for ev’rything with a thousand dollar bill
And the change always refused
He used diamonds for his auto lights
Greased the wheels with almond oil
He used champagne in his laundry
So his clothese they would not soil
His room was papered with five dollar bills
The ceilings were covered with tens
He said what’s the use of saving coin
It’s only good to spend
Chorus
Money was made for coons to spend
And I’m a goin’ to certainly hold up my end
Bought the Brooklyn Bridge for the coons own use
Rented Brooklyn for a week and turned the coons loose
Money will be here when I’m gone
The way I’ll spend mine it won’t last long
I don’t even beg, borrow or lend
‘Cause money was made to spend
2. This coon he bought an Op’ra house
To give his friends a show
Black Patti would be Juliet
While Weber played Romeo
Now Mansfield he refused to play his part
So that spoiled the coons great plan
So he ducks the show and buys himself
A million dollar band
Then says “Fool me if you can”
He hired Sousa to lead the band
Creatore to play the flute
Paderewski came in with a French horn
On a trombone Duss did toot
They played ragtime for the colored home
Till the coons in town were there
As they looked surprised, he made Sappho eyes
And said with an Olcott air