Sir Galahad (Kern)

by Jerome Kern (music) and P. G. Wodehouse (lyrics)

For works with similar titles, see Sir Galahad.

Sheet music cover

[Verse]

(Bub.) The days of chivalry are dead

of which in stories we have read,

When knights were bold and acted kind o' scrappy:

(Mac G.) When guys would take a lot of pains,

And fight all day to please the Janes;

And if their dame was tickled, they was happy

(Flora.) But now the men are mild and meek, and

seem to have a yellow streak;

They never lay for other gents, to flatten 'em,

They think they've done a darned fine thing,

if they just buy the girl a ring

of imitation diamonds and platinum.

[Burthen]

(All.) It makes me sort of sad

to read about Sir Galahad,

Sir Launelot, And all of them today:

To amuse a girl and charm her,

They would get into their armor,

And they'd jump into the fray.

They called her lady love,

They used to wear her little glove,

And ev'rything the girl said went:

For them was the days when a

(Bub.) lady was a lady

and a gent was a perfect gent.

[Verse]

(Bub.) Some night when they sat down to dine,

Sir Claude would say: That girl of mine

Makes ev'ry woman jealous when she sees her:

(Mac G.) Then someone else would yell "Behave!

Thou malapert and scurvy knave!

Or I will smite thee one upon the beezer.

(Flora.) And then next morning, if you please,

they'd dress in iron B. V. D's,

And mount a pair of chargers highly mettled

And when Sir Claude so fair and young,

got punctured in the leg or lung,

They looked upon the argument as settled.

[Burthen]

(All.) It makes me sort of sad

to read about Sir Galahad,

Sir Launelot, And all of them today:

To amuse a girl and charm her,

They would get into their armor,

And they'd jump into the fray.

They called her lady love,

They used to wear her little glove,

And ev'rything the girl said went:

For them was the days when a

(Bub.) lady was a lady

and a gent was a perfect gent.