Classic Poem

(with Ira Gershwin)

VERSE

I never travel'd further north
Than old Van Cortlandt Park,
And never further south than the Aquarium.
I've seen the charm of Jersey City,
But first let me remark
I saw it from the Empire State Solarium.
But I've been putting nickels
In the Postal Savings Bank,
And when those nickels pile up,
We can toddle off in swank,
And I don't mean an ordinary Cook's tour,
I mean a " Cabin De Luxe " Tour.

REFRAIN 1 HE :

Some day we'll go places,
New lands and new faces,
The day we quit punching the clock.
The future looks pleasant,
But, at present,
Let's take a walk around the block.
You're just the companion
I want at Grand Canyon
For throwing old blades down the rock.
The money we have'll
Go for travel,
Meantime, let's walk around the block.
Gangway! We'll begin
When our ship comes in.
You'll sit on my lap
All over the map.
To London in Maytime,
To Venice in playtime,
To Paris in time for a frock.
To Boston in bean-time,
Darling, meantime,
Let's take a walk around the block.

REFRAIN 2

In winter at Christmas
We'll visit the isthmus
And see how they lock up a lock.
And then in Caracas,
On a jackass
We'll take a ride around the block.
I give you my promise
We'll visit St. Thomas
And then at the Virgins we'll dock. SHE :

The Virgins can wait, sir,
It grows late, sir,
Let's take a walk around the block. BOTH :

Onward to Cathay,
Then to Mandalay,
Then Vladivostok
Where Bolsheviks flock.
We'll send the folks cables,
Accumulate labels,
Buy souvenirs till we're in hock.
Right now we are flat in
Old Manhattan,
Let's take a walk around the block.