Come and Hear the Orchestra

Transcript

I've got a fellow devoted to me, he's full of music as bright as can be, he writes all his letters in various keys, sharp than B-flat, sometimes F in high Cs, and serenades me when bands are about, and sings this to me when I phone, come out, come and hear the orchester, orchester, come into the garden along with me dear, hear the little piccolo, come on Joe, come into the garden and drink like a beer, come and hear the orchester,

orchester, come into the garden along with me dear, hear the little piccolo, come on Joe, come into the garden and drink like a beer. He's got a mouth organ and plays it blue, he scrapes under fiddle and clarinet too, he slides the trombone and he bangs the big drum, and under cornet he also will strum, he'll take a big bass horn and blow it to bits, but then he sings this song, he gives me fits, come and hear the orchester,

orchester, come into the garden and drink like a beer. Oh, I love music, oh, and that pudding, oh, don't that listen nice. Come, come, sing your song, you ain't paid to talk, sing.

Oh my, ain't he the best? Why who is your Henny? You don't know who my Henny is, he's the best bassoon in Hoboken, he played in a band once where the leader he got a hundred dollars a beat, and Henny he only got ten dollars a beat, but Henny he got his.

You don't need to laugh, yes, and another thing, my Henny he played bassoon once, but only once. Come and hear the orchester, orchester, come into the garden along with me dear, hear the merry beat. Oh my Henny.

Transcribed by AI from the recording above. These are noisy hundred-year-old cylinders, so expect misheard words and the occasional invented line — trust your ears over the text.