The 1911 song that kept ragtime going another ten years.
words and music by Irving Berlin
The sheet music:
Accompaniment:
Lyrics
- Oh, ma honey, Oh, ma honey
Better hurry and let’s meander
Ain’t you goin’, ain’t you goin’
To the leader man, ragged meter man?
Oh, ma honey, Oh, ma honey
Let me take you to Alexander’s
Grand stand, brass band
Ain’t you comin’ along?
Chorus
Come on and hear, come on and hear
Alexander’s ragtime band
Come on and hear, come on and hear
It’s the best band in the land
They can play a bugle call
Like you never heard before
So natural that you want to go to war
That’s just the bestest band what am, honey lamb
Come on along, Come on along
Let me take you by the hand
Up to the man, up to the man
Who’s the leader of the band
And if you care to hear
The Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear, come on and hear
Alexander’s ragtime band
- Oh, ma honey, Oh, ma honey
There’s a fiddle with notes that screetches
Like a chicken, like a chicken
And the clarinet is a colored pet
Come and listen, come and listen
To a classical band what’s peaches
Come now, somehow
Better hurry along
Sung here by Fred Feild: