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Can't Hear the Music?
Ain't We Crazy
We believe that the following excerpts represent a few of the lyrics that are sometimes called "Ain't We Crazy" (reportedly written or adapted by Haywire Mac) and "A Barefoot Boy With Shoes On" (written by Asa Martin). The lyrics presented here may be abbreviated (incomplete), and there are also many different versions and alterations of the song that have been developed over the years. We cannot present them all, nor are we certain of their accuracy as originally written. But one thing we are certain about is that the words are very confusing, proving the point that what you say may not make very much sense when you've had too much alcohol to drink! A similar song called "Ain't We Crazy" is also included in an abbreviated version below.
(CHORUS):
Ain't we crazy--oh ain't we crazy
This is the way we pass the time away
Ain't we crazy--oh ain't we crazy
We're gonna sing this song all night today
It was midnight on the ocean
Not a streetcar was in sight
As I stepped into a drugstore
To buy myself a light
The man behind the counter
Was a woman old and gray
Who used to peddle shoestrings
On the road to mandalay
Good evening sir the woman said
Her eyes were bright with tears
As she put her head between her feet
And stood that way for years
Her children, six, were orphans
Except one tiny tot
Who lived in a house across the street
Upon a vacant lot
It was midnight on the ocean
Not a horse car was in sight
The sun was shining brightly
For it rained all day that night
Twas summer in the winter
And the rain was snowing fast
While a barefoot boy with shoes on
Stood sitting in the grass
The cows were making cowlicks
The bells were ringing wet
The bumblebees were making bums
And smoking cigarettes
A man stepped in a stable
And came out a little hoarse
So he jumped upon his golf club
And rode around the course
The sky was dark and gloomy
While the sun was shining bright
The lightning and the thunder
Danced around with all their might
The moon it cast a shadow
Tho the air was black as night
And everything that you could see
Was hidden out of sight
The crickets played their mouth harps
While a frog played on it's drum
And dogs barked to the music
While the hummingbirds did hum
Horseflies galloped to the beat
And mayflies did their dance
And insects of all kinds
Lined up to wait their chance
Alternate Versions -- also called "Barefoot Boy":
It was midnight on the ocean
Not a streetcar was in sight
The sun was shining brightly
And it rained all day that night
It was a summer's day in winter
And the rain was snowing fast
And a barefoot boy with shoes on
Stood sitting in the grass
And the cows were making cowslips
And the bells were ringing wet
The bumble bees were making bums
And smoking cigarettes
A man went in a stable
And came out a little ho(a)rse
He jumped upon his golfstick
And rode all around the course
It was midnight on the ocean
Not a horsecart was in sight
I went into a drugstore
To get myself a light
The man behind the counter
Was a lady old and gray
Who used to peddle shoestrings
On the road to Mandalay
"My husband's dead" the lady said
Her eyes were dry with tears
She put her head between her feet
And stood that way for years
Her children, six, were orphans
Except one tiny tot
Who lived in a house across the street
Above a vacant lot
It was evening and the sunrise
Was just setting in the west;
And the fishes in the treetops
Were all cuddled in their nests.
As the wind was blowing bubbles,
Lightning shot from left to right;
Everything that you could see
Had been hidden out of sight
As I gazed through the oaken door
A whale went drifting by
It's six legs hanging in the air
So I kissed that girl goodbye.
This story has a moral
As you can plainly see
Don't mix your gin with whiskey
On the deep and dark blue sea.
Another alternate version:
Now, I know a little ditty,
It's as crazy as can be.
The guy who wrote it said he wanted it,
And handed it to me.
I found I couldn't use it
Because it sounded blue,
And that's the very reason why
I'm handing it to you.
It's a song the alligators sing
While coming through the rye,
As they serenade the elephants
Up in the trees so high.
The iceman hums this ditty
As he shovels in the coal,
And the monkeys join the chorus
Up around the nothern pole.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
This is the way we pass the time away.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
We're going to sing this song all night today.
It was midnight on the ocean,
Not a streetcar was in sight,
And the sun was shining brightly,
For it rained all day that night.
'Twas a summer night in winter,
And the rain was snowing fast,
And a barefoot boy with shoes on
Stood a-sitting in the grass.
It was evening and the rising sun
Was setting in the west.
The little fishes in the trees
Were huddled in their nest.
The rain was pouring down
And the moon was shining bright,
And everything that you could see
Was hidden out of sight.
The cows were making cowslips
And the bells were ringing wet,
And the bumblebees were making bums
And smoking cigarettes.
And a man slept in a stable
And came out a little ho(a)rse,
So he hopped upon his golf sticks
And drove all around the course.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
This is the way we pass the time away.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
We're goin' to sing this song all night today.
It was midnight on the ocean,
Not a horsecar was in sight
As I stepped into the drugstore
To get myself a light.
The man behind the counter
Was a woman old and gray
Who used to peddle shoestrings
On the road to Mandalay.
"Good evening, sir," the woman said,
And her eyes were bright with tears
As she put her head beneath her feet
And stood that way for years.
Her children, six, were orphans,
Except one tiny tot
Who lived in a house across the street
Above a vacant lot.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
But this is the way we pass the time away.
Ain't we crazy,
Ain't we crazy,
We're going to sing this song all night today.
Smoking is Hazardous to Health:
Learn more about the dangers of cigarettes and smoking from
Mama Didn't Know and the National Cancer Institute's Smokefree Kids.
Alcohol Abuse is Hazardous to Health:
Drinking excessively is hazardous to your health and could lead to serious problems and addictions. In fact, addictions of all types can be very serious health concerns. Please visit:
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