Bell Bottom Trousers

Performed by Jerry Colonna
Recorded c. February 1945
Words and Music by Moe Jaffe

[verse 1]
Once there was a little girl who lived next to me
And she loved a sailor boy; I was only three
Now I'm on a battleship in my sailor suit
Just a great big sailor man but I'm just as cute

[chorus]
Bell Bottom Trousers, coat of navy blue
She loves her sailor and he loves her too.

I'm her pappy of the poop deck, coat of navy blue
She's my little anchor, I'm her pappy too
Now when the girls is [?] but I don't care at 'll
She's my little rudder bow, I'm her little yawl
The reason that I think that she is so divine
She has a mustache twice as big as mine

[repeat chorus]

And on a nice day when the weather's clear
We take out our schooners and fill them full of beer
I promised we'd get married, then I put out to sea
But come the fall she bought a yawl and took out after me
I fired a friendly salvo but she returned the blast
Right between my forward hatch and my [?]
I was on the top deck as she came around
Trying to help a native girl tie up her [?]
I'll give you one guess what was my reward
Man overboard!

[repeat chorus]

That was long ago now everything is fine
We had some little sailor lads, as I remember, nine

[repeat chorus]

When this war is over we'll sail the ocean blue
With all our little skippers making up the crew
We'll sit up on the poop deck enjoying peace of mind
They'll be trailing in our wake their dinghys out behind

[repeat chorus]

[lyrics transcribed by listening. Send corrections via the contact link on the main page]