Alexander's Ragtime Band

"Say Al, you're a guest here today
Don't you think you oughta start this tune?"
"No, I don't think so, Bing
I may be a guest and all that, but I, I think you oughta start it"
"Well, it was written a little before my time
I'm afraid it might date me"
"Date you?" ("Yeah")
"Don't tell me the first time you heard this song
Was when your mama had you on her lap, you know, listening to me singin'"
"Oh, no, no, I came to the show on a Go-Devil that day"
"A Go-Devil?" ("Yes, haha")
"Well, Bing, look, let's stop this kidding
I think you oughta start" ("no, you oughta start, already")
"No, you start it, please" ("you think so?")
"Yeah, I think so" ("well, if you insist")
"Mmm-hmm"

Come on and hear, come on and hear (oh, you dog)
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Come on and hear, come on and hear 'bout the best band in the land
They can play a bugle call like you never heard before
So natural, that you'll want to go to war
That's just the bestest band, what am, oh, honey lamb

Come on along, come on along, let me take you by the hand
Up to the man, up to the man who's the leader of the band
And if you can hear the Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Alexander's Ragtime Band

"Say Al, that's the mighty Xander himself playing, ain't it?"
"Oh, yeah, that's him, ain't nobody else"
"Oh, he's a river boat man"
"River boat? What do you know about river boats?"
"Oh, I've made many a happy buck on them river boats"
"Playing in a band?"
"No, no, making four the hard way"
"Two deuces, huh?"
"That's it" ("haha")

Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Alexander's Ragtime Band

Come on and hear (well, here I come)
Come on and hear (I'm standing right here)
Here's the best band in the land
They can play a bugle call like you never heard before
That's just the bestest band, what am, oh, honey lamb

Come on along (come on along)
Come on along (come on along)
Let me take you by the hand (here's my lily white)
Up to the man (the mighty man)
I'm talking about the man
Mmm, the leader of the band

And if you care to hear that Swanee River played in ragtime
Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Come on and hear (come on and hear)
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Alexander's Ragtime Band