From the film “I Dream Too Much”, 1935
Words by Dorothy Fields
Music by Jerome Kern
The sheet music:
Lyrics
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Listen while I tell you
There was not one who would doubt the story
About the Little Jockey on the Carrousel
It is a story that my ma-man used to tell
When I would cry, it was my lullaby
Ma’am’selle! We are all enchanted
We’d gladly cry for a year
If only to hear the story
That your ma-man used to tell
And we will cry until you tell us what befell
Now what about the Jockey on the Carrousel?
He was so unhappy
Near to him, tied to a prancer
There was a dancer
Beautiful and very, very proud
She was as dainty as a fluffy little cloud
Her toe, just so, was pointed to the crowd
Of course
Though the jockey beat on his horse and rode apace
He could not reach his love
He never saw her face
If she resembled you
I’d be a jockey too
He was sad, the poor little lad
His pony was exhausted from a chase
That never got them any place
Ma’am’selle, If I may continue
This jockey wanted to bring his dancer a ring
And reaching for it suddenly he fell
And as he fell he kissed her slipper in farewell
He died for love, this Jockey on the Carrousel
And that’s the story that your ma-man used to tell
‘Tis sad, but true, his poor heart broke in two
Now our turn is ended
On this very splendid grand carrousel