A popular song from 1904
Words by W. W. Brackett
Music by Lottie L. Meda
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- There was a man, his name was Burke
He was a friend of mine
He had four lovely bright red shirts
That hung on his clothesline
Not satisfied with all his wealth
What do you think Burke did
He took a trip to Butchertown
Bought a goat just for a kid
He tied him up in his back yard
Where the shirts were hung in line
The goat got loose and ate them all
Just as the clock struck nine
This mademy friend Burke good and mad
To kill him then he swore
So he tied the goat to a railroad track
Satisfied he’d be no more
Chorus
Say au revoir, but not goodbye
This goat was wise, and too smart to die
He struggled and tugged with might and main
Coughed up a red shirt and flagged the train
- Now when Burke saw the goat’s cute trick
He quick said, “I’ll forgive
I’ll take that goat right home again
For he deserves to live”
Burke had a silk umbrella
‘Twas the apple of his eye
This goat thought it was good to eat
So he ate it on the sly
Burke found it out and swore again
It was time to make him stop
Says he, “I’ll take him to some place
Where I have got the drop”
So, he pushed him off the Call Cafe
‘Twas eighteen stories high
Then left the place with smiling face
Says, “This time it is goodbye”
Chorus
Say au revoir, but not goodbye
This goat was wise, though he could not fly
He gave one cry, it was a beaut
Coughed up the umbrella, made a parachute
- Once more to dear old home, sweet home
Burke took this goat again
Two times he’d tried to kill the beast
His efforts were in vain
He ate the paint from Burke’s front door
From his bed he drank the spring
And ate Burke out of house and home
He did not have a thing
Burke fed him tons of paris green
Six sticks of dynamite
He threw him in the ocean deep
But goat returned all right
The fatal day at last came round
Though that goat new a lot
He wandered out on Market street
And looked into the slot
Chorus
Say au revoir, this time goodbye
His time was up, he was doomed to die
The gripman yelled, and rang the bell
Car hit the poor goat, not he’s in —-
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: