A 1920 popular song
Words and music by Byron Gay
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
There’s murder in the air, there’s murder in the air
No matter where you go, here, there, everywhere
A thousand people stare, a thousand people glare
While syncopated jazz hounds steal, kill, and scare
This terror spreading band is scattered o’er the land
All armed with saxophones and jazz trombones
They wield with murderous hand
Hear that crying, dying moan
Help! Help! Help! Oh!-o-o
Hear their victims sigh and groan
Help! Help! Help! Oh!-o-o
With villainous glee, they go on a spree
Then they ruin with their bluein’ some good melody
Chorus:
Oh! just hear that banjo, Oh! and that piano
It’s murder, it’s murder, it’s wrong, all wrong
What they do to a wonderful song,
With a hoot and a toot they loot it
And yet it’s fascinating, like a honeymoon
Because everybody dances when a jazz band
Murders a good old tune