That Opera Rag 1910 'Mrs. Jim'

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

Sam Johnson was op'ra mad,
he sho' had the fever bad,
he said: "Those ordinary ragtime tunes
are mild,
some music from Verdi's hand,
or any old op'ra grand,
would never fail to set this op'ra darkie wild."
One evening at a ball,
they heard Sam Johnson call,
unto the leader man
to play some William Tell;
the leader swelled his chest,
and said: I'll do my best."
So when he played
they heard Sam Johnson yell.

Hear dat strain,
Mister Verdi come to life again,
oh that operatic sweet refrain,
sho' would drive a crazy man insane,
just let me die and meet those brainy men,
who manufactured notes of opera grand,
Oh Verdi where, where oh art thou?
Let me shake you by the hand, man,
you know what's grand,
Good Lord, it's over,
they're playin' "Home Sweet Home"

Old Sam was a painter man,
one day with a brush in hand,
he stood upon a scaffold 'way up in the air,
a German Band down below,
was playin' some Rigletto,
Sam said: "I know that's op'ra,
be it here or there."
While he daubed up the wall
he tried hard not to fall,
but in the street
the band kept right on playin' fair,
they played some "Faust" below,
just then old Sam let go,
he tumbled down below a shouting in the air.

Hear dat strain,
Mister Verdi come to life again,
oh that operatic sweet refrain,
sho' would drive a crazy man insane,
just let me die and meet those brainy men,
who manufactured notes of opera grand,
Oh Verdi where, where oh art thou?
Let me shake you by the hand, man,
you know what's grand,
Good Lord, it's over,
they're playin' "Home Sweet Home"

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
That Opera Rag 1910
Words and Music By Irving Berlin
As Sung in Booth Tarkington & Harry Leon Wilson's Comedy
"Mrs. Jim" - Under the Direction of Liebler & Co.
© 1910 by Ted Snyder Co., 112 West 38th St., New York
*
sequence and karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Tuesday 28 June 2005 at 00.57am
in association with Doug Grierson
*