A 1910 popular song.
Words and music by Williams and Van Alstyne.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- A bunch of college freshmen
Were as homesick as could be
They shed their tear for Mother dear
Until they couldn’t see
‘Twas mother this, and sister that
And mother, dear, some more
Till one of them jumped up
And threw his glass upon the floor
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Refrain
What’s the matter with father, he’s all right
What’s it matter if father’s hair is white?
I’m very strong for the other sex
But Dad’s the fellow that sends the checks
What’s the matter with father, he’s all right
- When daddy came to visit son
Said son, “Now be a sport”
“We’ll take some girls to supper
And we’ll have a little quart
The evening passed along
And all the freshmen passed away
But Dad was little “bright eyes”
Till the early break of day
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Refrain
What’s the matter with father, he’s all right
What’s it matter if father’s hair is white?
Oh, there was never a vacant chair
Between dear Dad and a maiden fair
What’s the matter with father, he’s all right
- Now father was a doctor
And a specialist you see
While mother slept his midnight calls
Made up his specialty
One night while sneaking up to bed
He hit the parrot’s cage
And as it rolled along the hall
The parrot yelled with rage
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Refrain
What’s the matter with father, he’s all in
What’s the matter with father, where’s he ‘bin’?
Oh, mother, mother come get your ‘doc’
Before he strangles the coo-coo clock
What’s the matter with father, he’s all in
Sung here by Fred Feild: