American Old Time Song Lyrics: 39 The Bowery

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 39

THE BOWERY.
Copyright, 1892, by T. B. Harms & Co.
Copyright, 1892. by Hoyt A Thomas.
Words by Chas. H. Hoyt. Music by Percy Gaunt.

Oh! the night that I struck New York,
I went out for a quiet walk;
Folks who are "on to" the city say,
Better, by far, that I took Broadway;
But I was out to enjoy the sights;
There was the Bowery ablaze with lights;
I had one of the devil's own nights­I'll never go there any more.

Chorus.
The Bowery, the Bowery;
They say such things, and they do strange things
On the Bowery, the Bowery­I'll never go there any more.

I had walked but a block or two.
When up came a fellow and me he knew;
Then a policeman came walking by,
Chased him away, and I asked him why.
"Wasn't he pulling your leg," said he.
Said I, "he never laid hands on me!"
"Get off the Bowery, you Yep!" said he­I'll never go there any more.- Chorus.

I went into an auction store;
I never saw any thieves before;
First he sold me a pair of socks,
Then said he, "How much for the box?"
Some one said "two dollars! "I said ' three!"
He emptied the box and gave it to me­"I sold you the box, not the socks," said he­I'll never go there any more.-Chorus.

I went into a concert hall,
I didn't have a good time at all;
Just the minute that I sat down
Girls began singing, "New Coon in Town,"
I got up mad And spoke out free.
"Somebody put that man out," said she;
A man called a bouncer attended to me­I'll never go there any more.-Chorus.

I went into a barber shop;
He talked till I thought he would never stop;
I, cut it short, he misunderstood,
Clipped down my hair just as close as he could;
He shaved with a razor that scratched like a pin,
Took off my whiskers and most of my chin;
That was the worst scrape I ever got in­I'll never go there any more.- Chorus.

I struck a place that they called a "dive";
I was in luck to get out alive;
When the policeman heard my woes,
Saw my black eyes and my battered nose,
"You've been held up!" said the "copper" fly!
"No, sir; but I've been knocked down! "said I;
Then he laughed, though I couldn't see why­I'll never go there any more.-Chorus.