American Old Time Song Lyrics: 47 Playing Hookey
Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 47
PLAYING HOOKEY.
Copyright, 1895, by Frank Harding.
Words and Music by George P. Murphy.
About a half a mile down yonder road our little school-house stands;
Our teacher he's an awful crank, so, whenever I get a chance,
I stay away and go and play-of course, I break a rule:
Then my Jimmie writes and takes a note, explaining why I couldn't go to school;
Sometimes it read that Ma is sick, sometimes Ma, Pa and all;
And other times my Jimmie writes that I had an awful fall;
Then my teacher writes to Ma or Pa, "Does she think I'm a fool?
There's no one sick; it's her old trick; she's been playing hookey from school."
Chorus.
Through the green fields I run, oh, don't I have fun;
I pick wild flowers and berries, you know;
Then I run down and look at the bright sparkling brook,
That's where I meet Jimmie, my beau;
Then hesits down to fish, sometimes falls in kursmish,
Then I call my Jimmie a fool;
Then he says, Now I'll tell Pa, and Mammy as well,
That to-day you've played hookey from school.
On poor old teacher's chair I placed a pin-oh, my, how he did jump;
And it hurt him, too-it was a sin; it must have raised an awful bump;
Then my Jimmie laughed so loud, I nudged my beau and said, "Keep still:"
Our old teacher saw me whisper, then of chastisement I knew I'd get my fill;
The teacher said, "Hold out your hand; "I said, "Please spare me, do; "
Then Jimmie threw a big ink-stand, and out of school he flew-
That is to say, he ran away, but, when caught, he got his gruel :
It was my delight; it served him right, for telling I'd played hookey from school.
Chorus.
When teacher he got through, my poor Jimmie felt blue;
You ought to have seen Jimmie's face:
I hardly did know what to think of my beau;
His whipping it seemed a disgrace:
But when be got a chance, from the back of his pants
He pulled shingles-then I was the fool:
I'd felt sorry for him; then a note from my Jim said,
I'll tell you've played hookey from school.