A WWI song from 1918.
Words and Music by Irving Berlin.
Cover Art by Albert W. Barbelle.
Copyright ©14 Mar 1918.
Sheet Music from the collection of Michael Deatz.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Everyone’s hollering “Me oh my
We’re in a terrible hole”
Everyone’s hollering “Tell us why
There is a shortage of coal”
I’ve got the whole thing figured out
Really it isn’t so bad
I know the cause without a doubt
Why there’s no coal to be had
Chorus:
The devil has bought up all the coal
He’s going to save it I swear
Until the Kaiser gets there
He needs to make it warm for Mister William
The devil has spent his little roll
For all the coal from everywhere
He’s piling it up by the ton
And, oh, what he’ll do to that Hun
There’ll be a hot time in Hades
When the Kaiser gets there
- Satan is freezing ‘way down below
He feels a terrible chill
Still he won’t use up his coal, oh no
Satan is waiting for Bill
If he can stand it then why can’t we?
Tell all the grumblers to pause
Although we freeze, let’s shout with glee
“It’s for a wonderful cause”
Chorus:
The devil has bought up all the coal
He’s going to save it I swear
Until the Kaiser gets there
He needs to make it warm for Mister William
I’d give Mister Rockefeller’s roll
To see the Kaiser I declare
And whisper in his little ear
You don’t know the half of it, dear
There’ll be a hot time in Hades
When the Kaiser gets there
Sung by Laurence Rubenstein: