BIRTHDAY CAKE
(Tina Liza Jones, 1984)

"We're gonna let second grade out early today,"
Which made little Mikey kinda blue
Cause he just turned seven years old that day
And he thought he'd get a party at school
He walked to his house and he's taken off his guard
There's chairs and tables all over the yard
And his friends jumped up and they hollered real hard
"Happy Birthday to you!"

CHORUS:
It makes me think of the good old days
Happy Birthday to you
You sure grew out of your baby ways
Happy Birthday to you
7th birthday [22nd] [92nd]
We wish you many more
Health and wealth
And friends by the score
So cut the cake and let's eat some more
Happy Birthday to you

Mike's 22 now and he's working for his Pop
And his head's full of business through and through
They were putting in a whole new system at the shop
And he forgot he had a birthday due
Got back home and he's taken off his guard
There were chairs and tables all over the yard
And his friends jumped up and they hollered real hard
"Happy Birthday to you!" (chorus)

Now it's old man Michael in a rocking chair
Admiring the view
He's still got all his teeth and he's still got all his hair
And today he's ninety—two
He turns in his seat and he's taken off guard
There's chairs and tables all over the yard
And his friends jumped up and they hollered real hard
"Happy Birthday to you!" (chorus)


Notes: We first heard "The Birthday Cake" sung by multi—instrumentalist John McCutcheon. In fact, it's featured on John's children's album Howjadoo [Rounder 8009] (available from Rounder Records, 1 Camp St. Cambridge, MA 02140). Tina Liza Jones is the author of this new birthday song and as well as being an active singer, musician, and artist. Frankly, we think it would make a great replacement for "Happy Birthday," don't you?


Words & music by Tina Liza Jones
©1984 by Swan & Quill Publishing Company

Source: Sing Out! Magazine, vol 31, no. 1, Jan-March 1985, pages 14-15

I'll type out a MIDI if somebody asks. joe@mudcat.org