Traveling

A popular song from 1906.
Words by James F. Devins.
Music by George Botsford.

The sheet music:

Traveling – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:

Traveling – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. A young man went to see his girl
    On a dark and stormy night
    He asked her if she’d be his wife
    He thought ‘twould be all right
    He said, “We’ll go a traveling
    Just as soon as we are wed”
    Her father said, “You’re wrong my boy
    You’ll go right now instead”

Chorus
And he went traveling, traveling
Trav’ling right away, didn’t wait a day
But he went traveling, traveling
Far from the old folks at home

  1. A thousand men once tried to pull
    A mule from off the track
    They’d pull him just about a foot
    And then he’d pull them back
    Then someone did a funny thing
    He must have been a fool
    He went and got a piece of straw
    And tried to tickle the mule

Chorus
And he went traveling, traveling
Way up in the air, pieces here and there
As he went traveling, traveling
Far from the old folks at home

  1. They say Mephisto once got weary
    Of his wicked life
    And that he came to New York town
    To get himself a wife
    But when he met the girls from Harlem
    He let out a yell
    He said they’re far too warm for me
    I’ll go right back to Jersey

Chorus
And he went traveling, traveling
Went without a bride, to his own fireside
Oh, he went traveling, traveling
Back to the old folks at home

(find more lyrics on the sheet music)