From “Strike Up the Band”, 1929
Words by Ira Gershwin
Music by George Gershwin
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Haven’t you a lot of things to say to me?
Feel a little dumb, words just will not come
Won’t you make December seem like May to me?
How can I impart all that’s in my heart?
If you’d only make your feelings clear to me
Gosh, I’ll do my darn’dest, lend an ear to me
Refrain
I mean to say, I mean to say
You mean?
It’s plainly seen, my dear
That I, that you , that you, that I
That we?
Oh I’m so green, my dear
Why, oh why must I keep stuttering like this?
Muttering like this?
Fluttering like this
I mean to say
You mean You love me?
That’s it, that’s what I mean, my dear