silly 20s singalong of the day - helen kane's "button up your overcoat"

[cimorene]

Button Up Your Overcoat - Helen Kane

The original Boop-Boop-A-Doop girl offers all kinds of advice, ranging from the common sense ("Keep away from bootleg hooch when you're on a spree") to the fussy ("Lay off meats") to the wildly eccentric ("Keep the spoon out of your cup when you're drinking tea") with the charming hook, "Take good care of yourself - you belong to me!" The bootleg hooch line is my favourite, I confess, but the song is delightfully funny all the way through.



Listen, big boy,
Now that you got me made,
Goodness, but I'm afraid
Something's gonna happen to you!
Listen, big boy,
You gotta be hooked, and how,
I would die if I should lose you now!

Button up your overcoat
When the wind is free.
Take good care of yourself -
You belong to me!

Eat an apple every day,
Get to bed by three!
Take good care of yourself -
You belong to me!

Be careful crossing streets, ooh-ooh,
Cut out sweets, ooh-ooh,
Lay off meat, ooh-ooh,
You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum!

Wear your flannel underwear
When you climb a tree,
Take good care of yourself -
You belong to me!

Button up your overcoat
When the wind is free;
Take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!
Boop-boop-a-doop!

When you sass a traffic cop,
Use diplomacy;
Just take good care of yourself -
You belong to me!

Beware of frozen ponds, ooh-ooh,
Stocks and bonds, ooh-ooh,
Peroxide blondes, ooh-ooh,
You'll get a pain and ruin your bankroll!

Keep the spoon out of your cup
When you're drinking tea.
Take good care of yourself -
You belong to me!

Don't sit on hornet's tails, ooh-ooh!
Or on nails, ooh-ooh!
Or third rails, ooh-ooh!
You'll get a pain and ruin your tum-tum!

Keep away from bootleg hooch
When you're on a spree!
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!

Comments

[lurkslikefox.livejournal.com]

My personal favorite version of this song is that done by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, though this is great.

[cobweb-diamond.livejournal.com]

oh, same! the shameful thing is, for me it was one of those fandom songs for me. for some reason it made me think of house, MD, because when i was like 15 or something i was convinced it encapsulated wilson's feelings for house. so lame! but the song it good.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Well, he is a bit mothering, isn't he. They took that part from Sherlock Holmes no doubt.