The Gum Shoe Man

From the 1911 musical “Let George Do It”.
Words by Paul West.
Music by Nat D. Ayer.


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. If you ever do wrong as you go along
    There’ll be someone after you
    He’s a man who’s fly with an eagle eye
    And he always spots a clue
    When on the scent he’ll ne’er relent
    And criminals have to quail
    For he grabs them all, the big, the small
    And he puts them right in jail
    He puts them right in jail
    Yes! he puts them right in jail

Chorus
Sh! Sh! Sh! Look out for the gum-shoe man
When he gets a clue, he sticks like glue
And it’s Bye, bye honey, if he’s after you
For he’s the Gum-shoe man
He’ll land you if he can
So, all take care or you’d better beware
Of the Gum-shoe man

  1. If a nice little lad forgets it’s bad
    To steal his mother’s jam
    He’ll put him in jail and never fail
    The great big door to slam
    And cute little girls with golden curls
    Who won’t obey their mas
    He’ll come some day to take away
    And put behind the bars
    To put behind the bars
    Yes! to put behind the bars

Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: