Well, I just put the kids to sleep

And swept the shack

Took my sweet man's satchel down

And watched him pack

I said, "Darlin', while the stove still smolders

Unpin your woman's hair and rub her shoulders"

I threw myself across the doorway

Beggin', "Stay, sweet man, stay"

But there's more in my man's life

Than this old hag

It's jelly roll Morton and a shiny cornet

And jazzin' the rag

The lady ain't been born

Can take the place of a horn

With a cornet man

A-goin' where there's blowin'

Trav'lin' cornet man

Just anytime they call him

He'll leave his wife and kiddies

Sittin' with their tongues out

To play for peanuts in a dive

And blow his lungs out

He'll hop a choo-choo on a moment's notice

To play some dates with Billy Bates

Or rag-time otis

The lady ain't see light

Can give a horn a fair fight

With a cornet man

A rootin', shootin', ever-tootin' dapper dan

Who carries in his satchel

A powder-blue norfolk suit

A silver-plated wah-wah mute

There is whiskey, gamblin', each one is a curse

But I'm up against a devil that's worse

Yes, a horn is my thorn

My trav'lin' cornet man

Kill yourself

tell me about it! yeah, yeah

A powder-blue norfolk suit

I said a silver-plated wah-wah mute

Oh he's shy on height

He's short on weight

But he's the only man

Can make my coffee peculate

A dapper dan

My cornet-playin' man