The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #35252   Message #4102053
Posted By: Joe Offer
13-Apr-21 - 12:55 AM
Thread Name: ADD: Lazybones (Mercer & Carmichael)
Subject: ADD: Lazybones (Mercer & Carmichael)
Ah, here it is.

LAZYBONES
(Words by Johnny Mercer, Music by Hoagy Carmichael)

Long as there is chicken gravy on your rice,
Ev’rything is nice.
Long as there’s watermelon on the vine,
Ev'rything is fine.
You got no time to work,
You got no time to play,
Busy doin’ nothin’ all the live long day.
You won’t ever change no matter what I say
You’re just made that way.

Lazybones, Sleepin’ in the sun,
How you ‘spec’ to get your day’s work done?
Never get your day’s work done,
Sleepin’ in the noonday sun.

Lazybones, sleepin’ in the shade,
How you ‘spec’ to get your corn meal made?
Never get your corn meal made
Sleepin’ in the evenin’ shade.

When ‘taters need sprayin’,
l bet you keep prayin’
The bugs fall off of the vine
And when you go fishin’
I bet you keep wishin’
The fish won’t grab at your line.

Lazybones, loafin’ thru the day,
How you ‘spec’ to make a dime that way?
Never make a dime that way
(Well looky here,)
He never heared a word I say!


Published in 1933, the first real hit for Johnny Mercer

Source: Johnny Mercer: The Life, Times, and Song Lyrics of Our Huckleberry Friend by Bob Bach and Ginger Mercer (Secaucus NJ, Lyle Stuart, Inc., 1982) page 34

Hoagy Carmichael recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlOA4Z0AHfw

The vocalist isn't identified. Usually, Hoagy Carmichael played the piano with various vocalists, but he sang of some recordings himself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazybones_(song)

1933 Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3QYkbDIu8 - with spoken explanation by Hoagy Carmichael.

1933 Ted Lewis recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Msl4fybL4Y

1941 video of Hoagy Carmichael singing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWNoKIrH7ms