(sung)
I just put the kids to sleep
And swept the shack
Took my sweet man's satchel down
And watched him pack
I said, "darling, while the stove still smolders
Unpin your woman's hair and rub her shoulders"
I threw myself across the doorway
Begging, "stay, sweet man, stay"
But there's more in my man's life
Than this old hag
It's Jelly Roll Morton
And a shiny cornet
And jazzin' the rag
The lady ain't been born
Can take the place of a horn
With a cornet man
A-goin' where there's blowin'
Trav'lin' cornet man
Just anytime they call him
He'll leave his wife and kiddies
Sittin' with their tongues out
To play for peanuts in a dive
And blow his lungs out
He'll hop a choo-choo on a moment's notice
To play some dates with Billy Bates
Or Rag-time Otis
The lady ain't seen light
Can give a horn a fair fight
With a cornet man
A rootin', shootin', ever-tootin' Dapper Dan
Who carries in his satchel
A powder-blue Norfolk suit
A silver-plated wah-wah mute
There is whiskey, gamblin' – each one is a curse
But I'm up against a devil that's worse
Yes, a horn is my thorn
My trav'lin' cornet man
Kill yourself!
Tell me about it!
Yeah! Yeah!
Woo!
Yeah! Yeah!
A powder-blue Norfolk suit
I said a silver-plated wah-wah mute
Oh, he's shy on height
He's short on weight
But he's the only man can make my coffee perculate
A Dapper Dan
My cornet-playin' man
