A popular song from 1918
words and music by Will E. Skidmore and Marshall Walker
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- I never will forget the time
I ran across that man of mine
He was cuttin’ capers at a roughneck ball
Acted like he’d never been nowhere at all
I asked him why he acted so
He said he really didn’t know
But he promised me that he would change his ways
And now he’s taking lessons from me every day
Chorus
I’m a tryin’ to teach my sweet papa
Right from wrong as he goes ‘long
But he’s a hard-headed fool
Just like a mule
(He plays such naughty little tricks in school)
But with all his faults, I love him still
And I always will
Some sweet day he’ll find out that
I am his only friend until the end
But now he’s “chuck” full of “pep”
And likes to “step” and have a “rep”
He’s young and full of life
And likes to do and dare
He tries to make his mama
Think that he don’t care
I’m a tryin’ to teach my sweet papa
Right from wrong
- He keeps me guessing all the while
Still he’s his mama’s “Angel child”
No one ever stopped and told him what to do
He just had to fight his own life’s battles thru
It’s awful hard to change his ways
That’s why I took him home to raise
When I get him polished like he ought to be
He’ll make a hit, I know in high society
Chorus
I’m a tryin’ to teach my sweet papa
Right from wrong as he goes ‘long
But he’s a hard-headed fool
Just like a mule
(He plays such naughty little tricks in school)
But with all his faults, I love him still
And I always will
Some sweet day he’ll find out that
I am his only friend until the end
But now he’s “chuck” full of “pep”
And likes to “step” and have a “rep”
I bought him lots of “glad rags”
So that he’d behave
But when I keep him home at night
He starts to rave
I’m a tryin’ to teach my sweet papa
Right from wrong
Sung here by Vancha March: