MY GIRL'S A CORKER

My girl's a corker, she's a New Yorker
I buy her everything to keep her in style
She's got a pair of legs, just like two whiskey kegs
Hey boys, that's where my money goes-oes-oes

That's where my money goes, to buy my baby clothes
I buys her everything to keep her in style
She's worth her weight in gold, my coal black baby
Hey boys, that's where my money goes ...

When we go walkin', she does the talkin'
And when my arm's round her, how time does fly
She does the teasin', I do the sqeezin'
Hey boys,...

She's got a pair of eyes, just like two custard pies
And when she looks at me, I sure get a thrill
She's got a pair of lips, just like potato chips ...

She's got a pair of legs, just like two whiskey kegs
And when they knock together, oh what a sound
She's got a pair of hips, just like two battle ships

She's got a bulbous nose, just like a big red rose
And when the lights go out, it really does shine
She wears silk underwear, I wear my latest pair ...


In the closing years of the 19th century, John "Honey" Stromberg (1853-1902) gained fame as the composer for the Weber and Fields shows, staged at New York's Music Hall Theater. As a lad, he had taken music lessons with private tutors, and as a young man, he served as an arranger for Isidor Witmark's publishing house.

In 1895, when John was 42, Weber and Fields heard his song "My Best Girl's a New Yorker" or "My Best Girl's a Corker", (his own lyric). They engaged Stromberg to compose and direct for upcoming burlesques they were intending to produce in their own theater. Stromberg wrote the complete scores, and Edgar Smith was the principal lyricist.
(From American Popular Songs by David Ewen - also in Edward B. Marks collection: old time hits of the gay eighties--nineties.)

The song's kind of dumb but the tune's catchy. As a kid in the early 50's it seems all my friends knew a few verses. Still out there after 50 years. It just popped back into my head tonight. None of the verses or rhymes we sang were identical to the above. The tune was the same but the format was simpler than the above. We'd sing the burdon and a two-line rhyme for each verse:

My girl's a corker, she's a New Yorker
I buy her everything to keep her in style
She's got a pair of legs, just like two piano pegs
Hey boys, that's where my money goes

My girl's a corker, she's a New Yorker
I buy her everything to keep her in style
She's got a pair of thighs, just like ... ?
Hey boys, that's where my money goes

etc. But I cannot remember any more. If any remember any of the verses I used to sing, I'd appreciate it.