From the musical “Sinbad”, 1918
Words by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young
Music by Jean Schwartz
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Old Henry Hudson found a river
A river that touches New York
The rest of the river is a flivver
Because it creates lots of talk
Summertime that’s the time spooners
Used to go rambling about
Now they take trips on rickety ships
And here’s what I want to find out
Chorus
Why do they all take the night boat to Albany
That’s been puzzleing me
They all claim it’s just for the sights
Just the same they travel at nights
I asked a fellow and his sweet little pet
“How is the Hudson?”
And they answered, “it’s wet”
So why do they all take the night boat to Albany
And grab the next train for New York?
- Seems that each Tom and Dick and Harry
Is rid of his worries and cares
They found out the Hudson steamers carry
A cargo of peaches and pears
Huddled and cuddled together
With no one to shout, “cut it out”
No wonder they state the river is great
To me it’s a river of doubt
Chorus
Why do they all take the night boat to Albany
That’s been puzzleing me
They all claim it’s just for the sights
Just the same they travel at nights
They play the search-light
On the shore while they float
They ought to play the search-light right on the boat
So why do they all take the night boat to Albany
And grab the next train for New York?
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: