A popular song from 1922.
Words and music by Irving Berlin.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Parson Brown was a preaching, preaching to his flock
And his little sermon gave them quite a shock
Ev’ry single fellow in the church that day
Bowed his head and then turned red to hear the Parson say
Chorus
Take a little wife , hurry up take a wife
Hurry up, don’t you wait
Tommy, Dick and Harry ought to go marry
Ev’ry little bee that’s a He
Takes a bee that’s a she for a mate
And what is plenty good enough for a bee
Is good enough for you and me
Living in a flat with a dog and a cat
Is a great big mistake
So go and take a little wife
But when you take a little wife
Be careful whose wife you take
The doggies on the street get together and play
They talk things over and get married right away
A chicken lays its eggs but they wouldn’t be found
If old Mister Rooster didn’t come around
The ants get married ev’ry time they get a chance
And so do their sisters and their cousins and their aunts
A bull couldn’t do without a lady cow
Nor a female cat without the cat’s meow
They’ve got the right idea
Then ev’ry little Bee that’s a he
Takes a bee that’s a she for a mate
So go and take a little wife
But when you take a little wife
Be careful whose wife you take
Sung here by Fred Feild: