WHERE DO YOU WORK-A, JOHN? (PUSH-A PUSH-A PUSH) (THE "DELAWARE-LACKAWAN" SONG)

(Words by Mortimer Weinberg & Charley Marks
Extra choruses by Ernie Krickett
Music by Harry Warren)

© 1926 Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. Inc. Cor.

Verse:

Long time ago, John and-a Joe
Come from sunny Italy
To-a try-a to get-a the dough.
Joe go away, John he's-a stay,
When they meet the other day,
Here's-a what-a they got-a to say:

Chorus 1:

Where do you work-a, John?
On the Delaware Lackawan;
What do you do-a, John?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, John?
I push, I push-a da truck,
Where do you push-a, John?
On the Delaware Lackawan-awan-awan-awan,
The Delaware Lackawan.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 2:

Where do you work, Marie?
In the telephone company;
What do you do, Marie?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push, Marie?
I push, I push-a da plug,
Where do you push, Marie?
In the telephone company-anee-anee-anee,
The telephone company.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 3:

Where do you work-a, Wop?
In da big-a da barber shop;
What do you do-a, Wop?
I strop-a, strop-a, strop.
What do you strop-a, Wop?
I strop da raze on da strop,
Where do you strop-a, Wop?
In da big-a da barber shop-da, shop-da, shop-da, shop,
Da big-a da barber shop.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 4:

Where do you work-a, Tess?
On-a Broadway on da west,
What do you do-a, Tess?
I press-a, press-a, press.
What do you press-a, Tess?
I press, I press-a da dress,
Where do you press-a, Tess?
On-a Broadway on da west-da, west-da, west-da, west,
On Broadway on da west.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 5:

Where do you work-a, Joe?
For the city I shovel snow,
What do you do-a, Joe?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Joe?
I push, I push-a da shov'
Where do you push-a, Joe?
For the city I shovel snow, o-oh, o-oh, o-oh,
The city I shovel snow.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 6:

Where do you work-a, Jerry?
On the Lackawanna ferry,
What do you do-a, Jerry?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Jerry?
I push, I push-a da gates,
Where do you push, Jerry?
On the Lackawanna ferry-da, ferry-da, ferry-da, ferry,
The Lackawanna ferry.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Chorus 7:

Where do you work-a, Gus?
On da big-a da Jitney bus;
What do you do-a, Gus?
I push-a, push-a, push.
What do you push-a, Gus?
I push, I push-a da clutch,
Where do you push-a, Gus?
On da big-a da Jitney bus-da, bus-da, bus-da, bus,
Da big-a da Jitney bus.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Italian chorus (phonetic):

(Talk:) And this is how an Italian friend of mine sings this song:
(Sung:) Ah-dough fa-teeka, Jew-wan?
Me work in da Lackawan,
Kee noon tay kapisco, Jew-wan?
Mee push, mee push, mee push.
Mah two kay push-a, Jew-wan?
Mee push, me push da truck-o,
Wait-a minoots, Jew-wan,
Port-ah may poor-ah push-ah, push-ah, push-ah, Jew-wan,
Ay port-ah ah may ah push-ah.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

Italian chorus:

Addo fatiche, Giuvan'?
Mi work in da Laccuan'
I nun te capisco, Giuvan'?
Mi pusce, mi pusce, mi pusce.
Ma tu che pusce, Giuvan'?
Mi pusce, mi pusce di trocco,
*(Ueni minuzz') Giuvan'?
Porta me pur a puscia-puscia-puscia-Giuvan',
E porta a me a puscia.
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!
Ah-ah-ah!

*- (Aggio pacienze)