The Babbitt and the Bromide

From the M-G-M Picture "Ziegfeld Follies"
Music by George Gershwin; Lyric by Ira Gershwin
© 1927 (Renewed) WB Music Corp.
Performed by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly

Verse 1

A Babbitt met a Bromide on the avenue one day.
They held a conversation in their own peculiar way.
They both were solid citizens- They both had been around.
And as they spoke you clearly saw their feet were on the ground.

Refrain

Hello! How are you?
Howza folks? What's new?
I'm great! That's good!
Ha! Ha! Knock wood!
Well! Well! That's Life!
Whatd'ya know? How's the wife?
Gotta run! Oh my!
Ta Ta! Olive Oil! Good-bye!

Verse 2

Ten years went quickly by for both these sub-sti-an-tial men,
And then it happened that one day they chanced to meet again.
That they have both developed in ten years there was no doubt,
And so of course they had an awful lot to talk about:

(Repeat refrain)

Verse 3

Before they met again some twenty years they had to wait.
This time it happened up above, inside St. Peter's gate.
A hard each one was carrying and both were wearing wings,
And this is what they said as they kept strumming on the strings:

(Repeat refrain)