Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns an Automobile

A popular song from 1912
Words and music by Irving Berlin


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. There’s a certain flirtin’ man with money in the bank
    The man I mean owns a machine, the kind you have to crank
    His great delight is to invite a girlie for a whirl
    In his machine and I just mean to kind o’ warn each girl

Chorus
Keep away from the fellow who owns an automobile
He’ll take you far in his motor car
Too darn far from your Pa and Ma
If his forty horsepower goes sixty miles an hour say
Goodbye forever, goodbye forever
There’s no chance to talk, squawk or balk
You must kiss him or get out and walk
Keep away from the fellow who owns an automobile

  1. Mary White went out one night in Harry’s new machine
    They rode quite far when Harry’s car ran out of gasoline
    The hour was late and sad to state no gas could Harry get
    The latest word I overheard is that they’re walking yet

Extra Chorus endings from 1912 cylinder record by Ada Jones

2.….goodbye forever.
If a cop should see, then you’d be,
Pinched for speeding in the third degree.
Keep away from the fellow who owns an automobile.

4.….goodbye forever.
You’ll be bumping some, like a drum.
You won’t sit down for many days to come.
Keep away from the fellow who owns an automobile.


Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: