A popular song from the 1908 musical comedy “Little Nemo.”
Words by Harry B. Smith.
Music by Victor Herbert.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Political conventions are a joke
That we must own
One man stays home
And tells them what to do by Telephone
Of cheers the lucky Candidate
Receives his proper share
And then they cheer ten times along
For the one who is not there
Chorus
Read, read the papers ev’ry day
And remember what they say
You’ll learn who’s who
And you’ll learn what’s what
What’s true , what’s new
What is rot, what’s not
Oh so read, read the papers ev’ry day
You will find that it will pay
For a lot of funny Capers
You’ll discover in the papers
If you read them ev’ry day
- They say that in a little while
Men like the birds will fly
I know a few old birds myself
And they fly pretty high
Most airships when they try them out
Are frauds and failures found
The only time they’re on the level
Is when they’re on the ground
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: