This song was sung by Al Jolson. Spotify has the recording.

Lyrics below copied from the sheet music found at the website of the University of Mississippi (Click for the PDF.):


I'M SAVING UP THE MEANS TO GET TO NEW ORLEANS
Words by Howard Johnson; music by Harry de Costa
New York: Leo. Feist, ©1916.

1. I've been around your town and seen the sights,
But now I'm through.
I'm telling you,
That I've made up my mind to stay home nights.
There's lots to do;
I mean it too,
Because my old friend bankroll was getting thinner, and before it got too late,
I hired a furnished room,
Goodbye to gloom,
And now I'm mighty glad to state:

CHORUS: I'm saving up the means
To get to New Orleans.
I'll buy a trunk and pack it,
Leave this racket.
I'll be happy when I'm bound
Back to those childhood scenes
And mother's homemade beans.
I'm thirsty, gee whiz!
I want a silver fizz,
Like they make in my home town.
Down there in New Orleans,
I'll wear my old blue jeans.
I'll find the girl I left behind me in her teens.
I know a train that goes a mile a minute.
You bet your life I'm going to be right in it,
On my way back home to New Orleans.

2. Now you can have your great big northern town,
Your city ways,
And problem plays.
They're just a bunch of worries, cares and frowns.
In cabarets
The nights are days.
I'd rather be in Dixie, where I can rough it in the good old country style,
And when I get back there,
I'll breathe that air,
And change my wrinkles to a smile.