A popular song by Milton Ager, 1910. One of his first.
Laurence (Milton’s nephew) says: “This song is a revelation! He must have written it in high school. I don’t know anything about it other than he once referred to these early songs as his “juvenilia” and said no more to me. It is a very cute song the way you do it. There are one or two more of these very early songs that I’ll try to dig up and send… “
Sheet music provided by Laurence Rubenstein:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics:
- Say, Babe, something’s on my mind
And I’m trying hard to find
Just how I can tell it all to you
Soft talk isn’t in my line
At that I could never shine
But my chatter is always true
Haven’t I been on the square?
You know that I have been fair
If you don’t, it is time that you did
Now that I have enough junk
And, also enough of spunk
I want to ask you a question, Kid
Chorus:
Say, Kid, what’s the use of tarrying?
Let us both become a pair
Say, Kid, I’m thinking of marrying
You’ve set me off my head for fair
Now don’t you try to look surprised and innocent
You can’t fool me that way
That gag don’t go: I’m onto you, you know
So, Kid, let us become a pair
2. Just now, I get twenty per
That should keep us both in fur
For besides I’ve got a little pile
We’ll get four rooms if we can
Just right for a married man
And what may come in the meanwhile
I’ll sit by the fireplace
Looking up into your face
But I’m ahead of my story, Babe
‘Cause your answer I did guess
Did I guess right? I guessed “yes”
And “yes” it must be, Kid, do you sabe?
Sung here by Fred Feild: