From “MISS LIBERTY”, 1949 [unpublished].
Words and Music by Irving Berlin.
Cover Art after original by David Klein.
Copyright ©31 May 1949.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Finding work in Paris isn’t easy
For a girl who just wants to work
For in every business place I find
That the boss has more than business on his mind
Finding work is easy if a girl agrees
To fall in love with the clerk
She must make her heart an important part of her work
There are lots of jobs in Paris
But they’re not for girls like I’m
If you easily embarrass
You’re embarrassed all the time
There’s a job that I would treasure
Selling hats and hosiery
I could have the job with pleasure
But with pleasure not for me
Yesterday I was on my way
To the famous Folies Bergere
Someone said in the news I read
That they wanted chorus girls there
Soon I stood in an office questioned by a man
He put me through an interview
And this is how it ran
“Can you kick?” I can kick
“How high?” So high
“Can you sing?” I can sing
“How high?” So high
“Can you dance?” I can dance
“How well?” Quite well
Then he said to me, “I would like to see”
And I danced so well he could tell
Dance:
Ya-da dum, Da-da dum
Ya-da dum, Ya-da dum
Ya-da dum, ya-da dum
Ya-da dum, ya-da dah
Ya-da dum, Ya-da dum
Ya-da dum, Da-da dum
Ya-da dum tum tum
Da-da dum tum tum
Da-da dum tum tum da dum
But I suddenly stopped dancing
When I saw him dim the lights
He remarked, “I like your dancing
But do you look good in tights?”
As he cast his wicked eye
On what I call my hips, he said
“Here’s some tights that you can try on”
So I slapped his face and fled
Finding work in Paris isn’t easy
For a girl who won’t unclad
I prefer to keep my clothes on
My above and my belows on
So business for a good girl is bad