I heard Van Ronk's version on the radio today, and I thought the lyrics were clever, so I looked it up, and this seems to be the origin.


I SEE BY THE PAPERS
Written by Don George, Paul Reif & Virgil Johnson, ©1950.
As sung by Nat King Cole on "The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio"

I see by the papers how the quintuplets grew,
How a duckbill platypus was given to the zoo,
But I don't see a thing about my baby comin' home.

I see by the papers Superman saved the day,
Li'l Abner's still the only boy for Daisy Mae,
But I don't see a thing about my baby comin' home.

I look in the personal column,
Read the timetables each day.
I've got it bad.
Think I'll buy an ad:
"Help wanted right away."

I see by the papers there's a whole lot o' news,
But there's none to cancel my subscription to the blues,
'Cause I don't see a thing about my baby comin' home.


[There is at least one other song called I SEE BY THE PAPERS, written by Al Hoffman, Al Goodhart & Ned Washington, ©1932.]