Oh! What a Diff’rence in the Morning

From the 1891 musical “Sinbad”
words and music by Willie Piffkow
arranged and extra verses by Philip Hastings

The sheet music:

Oh-What-a-Diffrence-in-the-Morning – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by Fred Feild:

Oh-What-a-Diffrence-In-the-Morning – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. I’ll sing of the curious sights that we see
    At night, at night
    They’re awfully funny, I think you’ll agree
    At night, at night
    There’s the giddy young clerk who hasn’t much cash
    And likes with his friends to appear very flash
    So, he orders Champagne and he cuts a big dash
    At night, at night

Refrain
But Oh! what a diff’rence in the morning
Then comes repentance with the dawning
His head’s just twice its size
And he’s got two fine black eyes
And so he swears off drinking in the morning

  1. You see a young lady who strolls up the street
    At night, at night
    She’s stylish and handsome, her figure so neat
    At night, at night
    Her waist is so slender, complexion so new
    Her feet very tiny in number two shoe
    And hair of a light colored delicate hue
    At night, at night

Refrain
But Oh! what a diff’rence in the morning
What an alteration with the dawning
Her cheeks have lost their hue
She wears a seven shoe
Her hair lies on the table in the morning

  1. And then there’s the jolly young husband you know
    At night, at night
    Who thinks that existence is awfully slow
    At night, at night
    So, he says, “My dear, I must pay up my dues
    At the lodge” but instead he goes off on a booze
    And when he gets home, on the doorstep he’ll snooze
    At night, at night

Refrain
But Oh! what a diff’rence in the morning
What a diff’rent fellow with the dawning
Tho’ very, very dry
For a drink he’ll vainly cry
For his wife’s been thro’ his pickets in the morning

  1. He’s just from the country and goes for a walk
    At night, at night
    He meets a nice fellow and has a nice talk
    At night, at night
    The stranger is jolly and awfully gay
    They take a few toddies to pass time away
    The Hayseed is happy and yells out, “Hurray”
    At night, at night

Refrain
But Oh! what a diff’rence in the morning
What an awful change comes with the dawning
His watch and money’s gone
He feels sad and forlorn
And he starts to walk to Jayville in the morning

  1. The landlady says, “Now look here, Mr. Drew”
    At night, at night
    “Your room-rent, you know, is quite long overdue
    Tonight, tonight
    You’ve dined at my table and eaten my hash
    You’ve promised to pay in a manner most rash
    Now really I hope that you’ll give some cash
    Tonight, tonight

Refrain
But where is that boarder in the morning?
It’s very plain he takes her timely warning
He steals out from his bunk
From the window drops his trunk
And disappears just as the day is dawning

  1. An elderly man lies sick in his bed
    At night, at night
    The doctors all say that he’ll surely be dead
    That night, that night
    His relatives gather around him and grieve
    Noting the slowness with which he does breathe
    Each thinking, however, how much he will leave
    That night, that night

Refrain
But! Oh what a diff’rence in the morning
He braces up just as the day is dawning
He eats three pounds of steak
Some oysters, pie and cake
And they all depart disgusted in the morning

Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: