The following lyrics are from the sheet music at Johns Hopkins University (Levy Collection). You can hear a recording by Arthur Collins at The Internet Archive.


IF YOU LOVE YOUR BABY, MAKE GOO-GOO EYES
or, THE GAME OF GOO-GOO EYES
Words and music by Williams and Walker, ©1900.

1. Last night I was invited to attend a swell festivity.
For a while, each one enjoyed himself as best was his ability.
At last they chose by motion, a new game that none had seen,
And when we found out what it was, all things went quite serene.
Each one should place a forfeit in the hands of a chosen one,
And that heavy hanging over your head was the next thing to be done,
And if by chance you miss yours, the way you'd have to pay,
The judge would choose some person who would turn to you and say:

CHORUS: If you loves your baby, make de goo-goo eyes.
Roll em high up, honey, till you see the skies.
Let your mind flutter like a turtle dove.
Den I know dat you's my sweetest love.
If you loves your baby, make de goo-goo eyes.

2. The game it seemed to progress right along with great agility.
Over half the people in the room were through, and it was up to me.
A man stepped up behind me, and in a deep voice said:
"Is it heavy or light, my friend, which now hangs o'er your head?"
The first idea that struck me was this forfeit is heavy, sho'.
I said: "It's heavy," but the man said: "It's light;" what did I do dat fo'?
He said: "Now, Mistess Johnson, she weighed three hundred pounds,
He picked de ugliest cullud gal dat he reckoned could be found.