You've Got To Sing In Rag Time 1911

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

Years ago the minuette and waltz
were the craze,
but that sort of thing
is rather slow nowadays.
Music full of ginger
is the music that pays;
you've got to wag time
only in rag time.
Ev'rything is hurried
when the rag you have got,
like a bunch of Chinese crackers
tied in a knot.
There is nothing graceful in it,
tho' up to date,
and that's why it grieves me to state:

You've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to drop a note
and catch your breath;
be very careful
you don't choke to death.
For when you sing in rag time
it's such a quaint zigzag time,
so look out for strife
when you risk your life
singing in ragtime.

You've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to drop a note
and catch your breath;
be very careful
you don't choke to death.
For when you sing in rag time
it's such a quaint zigzag time,
so look out for strife
when you risk your life
singing in ragtime.

When composing ragtime
if you want to make hits
take a sheet of music
cut it up into bits.
Paste it all together,
never mind if it fits,
Play it in gag time
that'll be rag time.
Always play it upside down,
and tho' it may hurt,
scatter when you sing it,
then you'll be on a cert.
Try and race the orchestra
and when you have done
if you've finished first
then you have won!

You've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to drop a note
and catch your breath;
be very careful
you don't choke to death.
For when you sing in rag time
it's such a quaint zigzag time,
so look out for strife
when you risk your life
singing in ragtime.

You've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to sing in rag time,
you've got to drop a note
and catch your breath;
be very careful
you don't choke to death.
For when you sing in rag time
it's such a quaint zigzag time,
so look out for strife
when you risk your life
singing in ragtime.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
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You've Got To Sing In Rag Time 1911
Words & Music by Worton David & George Arthurs
© MCMXI by Francis, Day & Hunter in the U.S.A.
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sequence and karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Thursday 28 July 2005 at 01.01am
in association with Doug Grierson
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Sung in J.C. Williamson's Ltd. pantomime - "Puss In Boots"
http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an10027095
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