Hang Out The Front Door Key 1908

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 28 Aug 2005

When Percy Wilson Gay left wifey ev'ry day,
she always used to say:
"Be home on time.
Don't keep me waiting, dear,
when dinner time is near,
be here when we sit down to dine."
He'd promise that he would,
and swear that he'd be good,
but Percy never could,
quite settle down,
for when his work was through,
he'd meet a friend or two,
and then he'd play around the town.
He would call her up
most ev'ry night at home,
and he'd sing to her across the telephone:

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
don't you sit up for me love,
I may be out till three.
I'm with some poor sick friends, dear,
who'd do the same for me,
just leave a light in the hall tonight,
and hang out the front door key.

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
don't you sit up for me love,
I may be out till three.
I'm with some poor sick friends, dear,
who'd do the same for me,
just leave a light in the hall tonight,
and hang out the front door key.

One night when he got home,
he found himself alone,
Wifey had up and flown,
he knew not where.
Although it served him right,
he had an awful fright,
to think he shouldn't find her there.
She called him up at three,
and said: "Yes dear, it's me,
how does it seem to be home all alone.
I'm with some friends of mine,
having so good a time,
I don't know just when I'll be home.
On the table you will find a little note,
Percy opened it and this is what she wrote:

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
You wait a while for me love,
just as I have for thee,
I'm with some poor sick friends, dear,
who think a lot of me,
your little wife's going to like high life,
so hang out the front door key.

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
You wait a while for me love,
just as I have for thee,
I'm with some poor sick friends, dear,
who think a lot of me,
your little wife's going to like high life,
so hang out the front door key.

Now Percy stays at home,
he wouldn't dare to roam,
he leaves the boys alone
when work is through.
He beats it, home for fair,
to see if wifey's there,
when he goes "out" he takes her too.
Now all the sporting's done;
by Percy's younger son,
he's never home till one,
two, three or four,
He makes the poor old man
look like an "also ran"
since Percy Junior's had the floor.
When he calls up father ev'ry night at home,
this is what he sings across the telephone.

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
I won't be home till three Dad,
don't you sit up for me.
I'm with some poor sick friends, Dad,
just like you used to be,
cheer up and smile,
I'll be home in a while,
so hang out the front door key.

Hang out the front door key, love,
hang out the front door key,
I won't be home till three Dad,
don't you sit up for me.
I'm with some poor sick friends, Dad,
just like you used to be,
cheer up and smile,
I'll be home in a while,
so hang out the front door key.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Hang Out The Front Door Key 1908
Written and Composed by Benjamin Hapgood Burt
© MCMVIII by Jerome H. Remick & Co., New York
*
sequence and karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Sunday 28 August 2005 at 00.37
in association with Doug Grierson
*