The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #21520   Message #934495
Posted By: Jim Dixon
16-Apr-03 - 01:38 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: More Work for the Undertaker (F W Leigh)
Subject: Lyr Add: MORE WORK FOR THE UNDERTAKER
Go to this page:
The Antique Phonograph Hour with MAC
Playlist for January 12, 2002

...and click on "Hear this show!" You can hear an hour-long program of old popular music from the period 1901 to 1924. (And there are many more programs at that site.) "More Work for the Undertaker" begins at about 35:30. Here's my transcription. It still contains a few holes, indicated by ellipses:

Listen to a song I'm going to sing you.
You may laugh till you haven't any breath.
People nowadays seem to think it very funny
When they hear of violent death.
Poor little Solomon Levi
To heaven has got a pass.
He searched round the house the other night
To find a big escape of gas.

More work for the undertaker,
Another little job for the casket maker!
At the local cemetery they've
Been very, very busy on a brand new grave.
Solomon blew himself!

Ruben he was standing on Broadway.
A cable car ... an awful lot.
He wanted to see how the old thing worked
So he looked down in the slot.
A car came up behind him,
But he didn't hear the bell.
The ... car changed his address
From Broadway down to--to--[crash!]--whooee!

More work for the undertaker,
Another little job for the casket maker!
At the local cemetery they've
Been very, very busy on a brand new grave.
Only ... by cable.

A boy named Jack was playing football.
He was what you call a center rush.
They picked him up in pieces when
It ended in a crush.
His father quickly ...
What was left of Jack.
When he opened the box, they suddenly exclaimed,
"Why, they've only sent a quarterback!"

More work for the undertaker,
Another little job for the casket maker!
At the local cemetery they've
Been very, very busy on a brand new grave.
Football and that's all!