A fox-trot song from 1922
Words and music by Al Wilson and James A Brennan
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Sometimes I think I was a little fool
Back in the days when I used to go to school
When I was a kid, Gee! how I hated
The little place where I was educated
Altho’ I didn’t know it I was lucky then
I wish that I was back again
Chorus:
In the little red school house
With my book and slate
In the little red school house
I was always late
I long to be back there where I was a scholar
In the days of yore
How I’d stand right up there and holler
“Two and two are four”
When we should have been learning
About the Golden Rule
Our little hearts were yearning
For the swimming pool
Why we could hardly wait
For the four o’-clock bell
The moment that we heard it
We would run like mad,
Oh! Gee! I want to be
In the little red school house
- Each morn, when mother said “It’s after eight
If you don’t hurry you surely will be late!”
I’d start down the road, my footsteps lagging
Of course I went but I was always bragging
“You bet when I get bigger
No more school for me
But now that’s where I want to be
Patter:
Ten o’clock the spelling lesson’s just begun
Johnny throws an inkball just for fun
Hits the teacher’s ear with an awful spat
She turns around and says “Who did that?”
Pretty little Percy in the very front row
Raises up his had, and says “Teacher I know”
Little Johnny whispers to the teacher’s pride
“You just wait till I get you outside”
Johnny’s told to stand up with his face to the wall
He says, “I do’ wanna” and he tries to stall
If I stood up there I’d take an awful chance
I got a great bit tear in the seat of my pants
Teacher sends you home to wash your face and then!
You say, “Aw what’s the use, it just gets dirty again
Oh! Gee! I want to be
In the little red school house