From the sheet music at Baylor University. Copies are also held by the Library of Congress and Johns Hopkins University.


OLD UNCLE JOHN AND HIS EDUCATED WIFE
Words and music by Alfred W. Sweet, ©1892.

1. Now old Uncle John had an educated wife.
She studied very hard all the days of her life.
She learned all she could when she was very small,
And never has forgotten it, her alphabet and all.
She knew all about the planets in the heaven,
Could tell how many times, two would go in forty-’leven;
And old Uncle John many times in his life,
Thanked his stars that he was married to an educated wife.

CHORUS: With an A and a B and a great big C,
And a C and a D and an E, F, G,
She showed her education when she talked to her relation,
And all of her relation knew she had an education,
With an H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P;
Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

2. Now she was so smart, she could read and write her name,
And she taught Uncle John that he might do the same.
She spelt all the words in the little spelling book,
And committed them to mem’ry; she never had to look.
She taught Uncle John the great big words to spell.
He learned them so nicely that anyone could tell
That old Uncle John all the days of his life,
Received his education from his educated wife. CHORUS

3. One night when they held a spelling match in town,
She heard of it at once and was crazy to go down.
The old white horse was harnessed in the shay.
They put their hat and bonnet on and soon were on the way.
The old brown church with weather-beaten steeple
Was crowded very full with educated people.
Of Uncle John’s wife, they had heard so many tell,
They thought they’d come and hear this educated lady spell. CHORUS

4. They all took their places as their names were read.
Uncle John was at the foot and his wife at the head.
With toes on the mark, and their heads so very straight,
All ready for the first big word they patiently did wait.
At last, it came—the word was Ebenezer—
To Uncle John’s wife, and it didn’t really please ’er.
It passed to Uncle John, and the first time in his life,
He show’d his education from his educated wife. CHORUS