From the 1902 musical The Wizard of Oz.
Words by James O’Dea.
Music by Robert J. Adams.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Cy Perkins was the village scamp of Jayville-on-the-Pike
Cy Perkins with his funny jokes you couldn’t well dislike
At the country grocery store
Where he loafed from ten till four
He’d keep the boys a-laughing till their very sides were sore
When the circus bills in summer on the fences would appear
Then Cy would say, “This is the grandest time of all the year
For there’s nothing half so fine
As the circus folks in line
When they come trooping into town
Oh@ that’s the fun for mine
Chorus
For when the circus comes to town I want to see
The whole darn’d shotting match from A to Z
I want to see the clown
When he drives about the town
And I want to hear the steam piano play, by gee
I’ll spend as much as sixty cents
To walk right up and see the show commence
With my gal, Samantha Brown
In her stunning new Spring gown
I’ll be a reg’lar cutup when the circus comes to town
- “I like to see the horses in the ring a-doing a jig
There’s nothing half so funny as the educated pig
And the acrobats so great
Who are always up to date
Are the only kind of actor I could ever tolerate
When they pass around the crimson lemonade
I like to choke
For that’s the only drink on which I ever would go broke
From the clown, so full of fun
To the girl who weighs a ton
With the freaks and all included
I’m in love with ev’ryone
Sung here by Vancha March: