A popular song from 1909
Words by Henry S. Creamer
Music by Bert A. Williams
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- ‘Twas in a hen-coop one dark night
I stopped to rest myself
And to my great surprise I spied
Some pullets on a shelf
I tried to shake hands with a hen
When some buckshot passed my head
I dropped my bag and turned around
Then to the gen’man said
Chorus
Mister, Mister, Oh listen like a friend
No use to argue, just let the matter end
Excuse me boss if wrong I’ve done
There ain’t no use to shoot that gun
Just move that much so I can run?
Thank you! That’s a plenty
- I felt a cramp one morning
To the doctor I ran quick
He said I had the Epizutic
Man I sure was sick
He said that I should bathe
In cold weather each morning twice
But I told him when he told me
To fill the tub with ice
Chorus
Mister, Mister, Oh listen like a friend
No use to argue, we’ll let that treatment end
Remember I’m no Esquimo
I do not care for ice or snow
I’ll take one bath in July though
Just one, that’s a plenty
- A man gave me a two-bit note
To guide him through the woods
And as we strolled along a bear
Jumped out, it was the goods
The man ski-dooed, I grabbed that bear
It made an awful wail
The man yelled “Stop” but I said “No”
I’m goin’ to hold this tail
Chorus
Mister, Mister, Oh listen like a friend
No use to tell me, to hold the other end
I see I’ve got to hold this bear
I just leave hold him here as there
As long as his tail’s got one hair
That long, that’s a plenty