The Old Music Master

One night long ago by the light of the moon An old music master sat composing a tune His spirit was soaring and his heart full of joy When right out of nowhere stepped a little colored boy You gotta jump it, music master You gotta play that rhythm faster You're never gonna get it played On the Happy Cat Hit Parade You better tell your friend Beethoven And Mister Reginald De Koven They gotta do the same as you Or they're gonna be corny too Along about nineteen-seventeen Jazz'll come upon the scene Then about nineteen-thirty-five You'll begin to hear swing, boogie-woogie and jive You better tell the big broadcaster That you're a solid music master And you'll achieve posterity That's a bit of advice from me The old music master simply sat there amazed As wide-eyed and open-mouthed he gazed and he gazed How can you be certain little boy, tell me how? Because I was born, he said, hundred years from now He hit a chord that rocked the spinet And disappeared into the infinite And up until the present day You can take it from me, he's as right as can be Everything has happened that-a-way Along about nineteen-seventeen Jazz'll come upon the scene Then about nineteen-thirty-five You'll begin to hear swing, boogie-woogie and jive He hit a chord that rocked the spinet And disappeared into the infinite And up until the present day You can take it from me, he's as right as can be Everything has happened that-a-way, yeah --- The Old Music Master - Hoagy Carmichael