(2 – 3 or 4 Sweeties)
A popular song from 1923
Words by Henry Creamer
Music by James F. Hanley
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- In Alabama there’s a heart breakin’ gal
Each day she picked a diff’rent sweetie or pal
Next day she would say
“Officer, Officer, take him away”
At last she fell in love with sweet lovin’ Dan
A pretty papa but a travelin’ man
He sneaked away one fine day
And then they heard her say
Chorus
Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, three sweeties, or four, what’s more
You’ll find a half a dozen buzzin’ ’round my door
I wouldn’t weep about five sweeties, six sweeties
I trick my sweeties
From seven to eleven I treat ’em sweet and pretty
They think they’re in Heaven
Bring on your daddies so tall and handsome
Your lovin’ baby is bound to land some
You don’t believe me, look over my transom and see
Oh! I’m a busy little bee
Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, or three sweeties
I leave them weepin’ over me
- This flirting Sheba went to look for her Dan
She spent the summer looking ’round for that man
All day she would moan
“Honey Man, Honey Man, won’t you come home”
Most everybody wondered what it could be
That kept her moaning, so she whispered to me
He took my things, my bed springs
And my four wedding rings
Chorus
Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, three sweeties, or four, what’s more
You’ll find a half a dozen buzzin’ ’round my door
I wouldn’t weep about five sweeties, six sweeties
I trick my sweeties
From seven to eleven I treat ’em sweet and pretty
They think they’re in Heaven
I’ve got a daddy and he’s a dandy
I’ve got another who brings me candy
There’s lots of other who’d like to be handy with me
Oh! I’m a busy little bee
Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, or three sweeties
I leave them weepin’ over me
Extra choruses, from 78 rpm records (Brunswick: Margaret Young, Victor: Brooks Johns)
- Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, three sweeties, or four?
What’s more, you’ll find a half a dozen
Buzzin’ round my door.
I wouldn’t weep about five sweeties
Six sweeties, I trick my sweeties.
From seven to eleven I treat ’em sweet and pretty
They think they’re in heaven.
I’m not a baby, but temperamental
To all the fellows I’m always gentle.
And when I lose ‘em, it’s just accidental with me.
Oh, that’s the only way to be.
So why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, or three sweeties?
I leave them weepin’ over me. - Why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, three sweeties, or ten? Good men.
They’re only good to have around you now and then.
I wouldn’t weep about one dozen
Two dozen, they all come buzzin’.
I meet ‘em – and greet ‘em – and I’m the kind of mama
Who knows how to treat ‘em.
No Valentino will ever fret me
They make me nervous but don’t upset me.
And when I leave ‘em they never forget me
You see, oh I’m a lovin’ little bee.
So why should I weep about one sweetie
Two sweeties, or three sweeties?
I leave them weepin’ over me
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: