American Old Time Song Lyrics: 12 I'm Not Asleep

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 12

I'M NOT ASLEEP.
Copyright, 1886, by Willis Woodward & Co.

Some people take their rest by night,
While others rest by day,
And some they never rest at all,
Yet always feel so gay;
While other folks, you know, can sleep
The clock round for a week;
But quickly I will prove to you,
That I am not asleep I

Chorus.
I'm not asleep! I'm not asleep!
With your very kind attention,
Something new to you I'll mention;
I'm not asleep! I'm not asleep!
I'll try my best to please you all
Before I go to sleep.

Now John L. Sullivan's a name
That's well known to you all,
And when the ring he enters,
His opponents quickly fall;
This Boston boy as champion
Of the world will always keep,
And quickly show his friends and foes
That he is not asleep.

Chorus.
He's not asleep! he's not asleep!
He's the boy to make them hustle,
Show the world he's bone and muscle;
He's not asleep! he's not asleep!
He does his best to knock them out,
And put them all to sleep.

How oft we find that high-toned forks
No families have got,
But there's the workingman
Can always boast of such a lot;
To keep a wife and eight young kids
On three dollars a week,
It proves to me the workingman
Can never go to sleep.

Chorus.
They're not asleep! they're not asleep!
Post, policemen, clerks and porters,
All have lots of sons and daughters;
They're not asleep! they're not asleep!
It proves to me the workingman
Ne'er gets a wink of sleep.

Our city girls of now-a-days
Are quite a mystery,
Wearing sealskin sacques, silk dresses
And fine jewelry;
They work all day in some large store,
Three dollars get per week,
The way they dress just proves to me.
That they are not asleep.

Chorus.
They're not asleep! they're not asleep!
Wearing diamond rings and lockets,
On the strength of young men's pockets;

They're not asleep! they're not asleep! They always skin these snoozers out Before they go to sleep.