From “Bright Lights”, 1935.
Words by Bert Kalmar.
Music by Harry Ruby.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
She was an acrobat’s daughter
Her folks were the “Bounding Magees”
She turned twenty-one and married the son
Of the “Man on the Flying Trapeze”
O-o-oh! the wedding was held in the circus
For all the spectators to see
And when they were wed
They both stood on their head
An acrobat’s daughter was she
Patter
She could do a back flip, a front flip
With real acrobatic grace
A nip up, a trip up
Without landing on her face
She could do contortions
With portions of her swell anatomy
You’d wonder, by thunder
Which end you would rather see
Refrain
She was a acrobat’s daughter
And tho’ they were married a year
Each morning they’d rise and for exercise
They’d swing from the old chandelier
O-o-oh! They turned somersaults before breakfast
A hand-spring or two before tea
When bedtime drew near
They’d both spin on their ear
An acrobat’s daughter was she
Refrain
She was a acrobat’s daughter
Her pets were the little trained fleas
She taught them some tricks
Then gave five or six
To the man on the flying trapeze
O-o-oh! dressed up in her tights
Trimmed with spangles
She looked just as cute as could be
She feared they might tear
So she carried a spare
An acrobat’s daughter was she