American Old Time Song Lyrics: 13 That's Whats The Matter With Hannah

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 13

That's What's the Matter with Hannah.
Copyright, 1865, by W. R. Smith.

By-words up and down are the life of the town,
Like heroes they every day grow, sir;
A new one springs up as an old one goes down,
As the gals change their dresses and beauxs, sir.
"That's what's the matter," has been thumped about
Like the keys on an ancient piano;
But it's got a new face, and now the cant phrase
Is: "That's what's the matter with Hannah."

Chorus.
Then ring out the chorus, both sweet and sonorous,
Let your smiles fall upon us like manna;
To please old and young is the aim of our song,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah.

The price of gold's falling, we hear people bawling,
But it's up in an hour or a quarter;
While we send it away to buy foreign array.
To show off a wife or a daughter.
Gold cannot come down while our gals sweep the town,
With silks spreading out like a banner;
The longer their trails, why, the higher gold sails,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah.-Chorus.

But the draggle tail dresses will no more distress us.
As wiper's for gentlemen's feet, sir;
Tuck-ups are the fashion for those who would dash on
And make a big show on the street, sir.
Each belle now must flirt in a fifty-yard skirt,
Festooned in upholstery manner;
Now black tuck-ups float o'er a white petticoat,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah.-Chorus.

The war being over, our brave troops discover
A new field to strike a few blows, sir;
And lead olf a dance for sly Louis of France,
With his Dutch king in poor Mexico, sir.
We want no more glory, nor more territory,
But we'll stand by the old Monroe banner;
And we'll have no king's nest in this world of the Wert,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah. -Chorus.

Petroleum fever, that proved such a lever
To grease all the wheels of creation,
Is simmering down overdone and done brown,
Like a soap-bubble bustification.
Some folks who struck oil, made a blaze for awhile
In fast nags, champagne and Havana;
But wells pumped too high are bound to run dry,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah.-Chorus.

The Atlantic cable again proves a fable,
A flash in the pan but no thunder;
Like a gun that burns prime, it's a fizzle sublime,
A pay'd out and play'd out sad blunder.
The wire springs a leak and refuses to speak,
It fails in a most shocking mariner;
At "five pounds per word" it can never be heard,
And that's what's the matter with Hannah.-Chorus.