Go tell your mother, you’re stepping out with me, Say that we’ll be dancing and
you won’t be home 'til three.
Go tell your father he needn’t pace the floor, Promise at the stroke of three
you’ll tip toe through the door. I told my mother and, I told my father and
They (Yes?), say… (What did they say?)Ma says, Pa says, we must keep on dancing, Ma says, Pa says, we must keep on dancing, For if we keep on dancing,
we won’t start romancing, But if we start romancing, we won’t keep on dancing.
Go tell your mother, I’m taking you out to dine
Tell her this here restaurant the cooking is divine
Go tell your father, You’ve got an appetite
Say that you’re so hungry you could eat all through the night.
I told my mother and, I told my father and
They (Yes?), say… (What did they say?)Ma says, Pa says, we must keep on eating
Ma says, Pa says, we must keep on eating
For if we keep on eating, our lips can’t be meeting, But if our lips are
meeting, we won’t keep on eating. Go tell your mother, tonight you’ve got a date; Say that you and I will be attending a little debate.
Go tell your father, I’m gonna make a speech
Say the lecture will be held upon a sandy beach.
I told my mother and, I told my father and
They (Yes?), say… (What did they say?)Ma says, Pa says, we must keep on talking
Ma says, Pa says we must keep on talking
For if we keep on talking, we won’t go out walking
But if we go out walking, we won’t keep on talking.
We’ll date and debate
We’ll meet and eat
We’ll walk and talk beneath the moon’Cos Ma says, Pa says,… We can marry soon