Learning McFadden To Waltz

Dedicated to the gang, 1890.
words and music by M. F. Carey


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. Clarence McFadden he wanted to waltz
    But his feet wasn’t gaited that way
    So he saw a professor and stated his case
    And said he was willing to pay
    The professor looked down in alarm at his feet
    As he viewed their enormous expanse
    And he tacked on a five to his regular price
    For learning McFadden to dance

Chorus
One, two, three, balance like me
You’re quite a fairy, but you have your faults
While your left foot is lazy your right foot is crazy
But don’t be unaisy, I’ll learn you to waltz

  1. He took out McFadden before the whole class
    And he showed him the step once or twice
    But McFadden’s two feet got tied into a knot
    Sure he thought he was standing on ice
    At last he broke loose and struck out with a will
    Never looking behind or before
    But his head got so dizzy he fell on his face
    And chewed all the wax off the floor
  2. McFadden soon got the step into his head
    But it wouldn’t go into his feet
    He hummed “La Gitana” from morning till night
    And he counted his steps on the street
    One night he went home to his room to retire
    After painting the town a bright red
    Sure he dreamt he was waltzing and let out his feet
    And he kicked the dash-board off the bed
  3. When Clarence had practiced the step for a while
    Sure he thought that he had it down fine
    He went to a girl and he asked her to dance
    And he wheeled her out into the line
    He walked on her feet, and he fractured her toes
    And he said that her movement was false
    Sure the poor girl went round for two weeks on a crutch
    For learning McFadden to waltz

Sung here by Fred Feild: