From the 1911 musical “Let George Do It”.
Words by Paul West.
Music by Nat D. Ayer.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- If you ever do wrong as you go along
There’ll be someone after you
He’s a man who’s fly with an eagle eye
And he always spots a clue
When on the scent he’ll ne’er relent
And criminals have to quail
For he grabs them all, the big, the small
And he puts them right in jail
He puts them right in jail
Yes! he puts them right in jail
Chorus
Sh! Sh! Sh! Look out for the gum-shoe man
When he gets a clue, he sticks like glue
And it’s Bye, bye honey, if he’s after you
For he’s the Gum-shoe man
He’ll land you if he can
So, all take care or you’d better beware
Of the Gum-shoe man
- If a nice little lad forgets it’s bad
To steal his mother’s jam
He’ll put him in jail and never fail
The great big door to slam
And cute little girls with golden curls
Who won’t obey their mas
He’ll come some day to take away
And put behind the bars
To put behind the bars
Yes! to put behind the bars
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: