From the 1957 musical “The Music Man”.
Words and music by Meridith Willson.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
Seventy-six trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand
They were followed by rows and rows
Of the finest virtuosos
The cream of every famous band
Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind
There were more than a thousand reeds
Springing up like weeds
There were horns of every shape and kind
There were copper-bottom tympani in horse platoons
Thundering, thundering, all along the way
Double-bell euphoniums and big bassoons
Each bassoon having his big fat say
There were fifty mounted cannon in the battery
Thundering, thundering, louder than before
Clarinets of every size and trumpeters who’d improvise
A full octave higher than the score
Seventy-six trombones led the big parade
When the order to march rang out loud and clear
Starting off with a big bang bong
On a Chinese gong
By a big bang bonger at the rear
Seventy-six trombones hit the counterpoint
While a hundred and ten cornets played the air
Then I modestly took my place as the one and only bass
And I oompahed up and down the square
Buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh
Buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh
Buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh
Buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh
Seventy-six trombones hit the counterpoint
While a hundred and ten cornets played the air
Then I modestly took my place as the one and only bass
And I oompahed, oompahed, oompahpahed
Oompahed up and down the square