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.