Tammany

by Gus Edwards (music) and Vincent Bryan (lyrics)

1905 sheet music cover.

1.

Hiawatha was an Indian, so was Navajo,
Paleface organ grinders killed them many moons ago.
But there is a band of Indians, that will never die,
When they're at the Indian Club, this is their battle cry:

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Big Chief sits in his tepee, cheering braves to victory.
Tammany, Tammany,
Swamp 'em, Swamp 'em, get the "wampum," Tammany.

2.

On the Island of Manhattan, by the bitter sea,
Lived this tribe of noble Redmen, Tribe of Tammany.
From the Totem of the Green-light Wampum they would bring,
When their big Chief Man Behind, would pass the pipe and sing:

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Stick together at the poll, you'll have long green wampum rolls.
Tammany, Tammany,
Politicians get positions, Tammany.

3.

Chris Colombo sailed from Spain, across the deep blue sea,
Brought along the Dago vote to beat out Tammany.
Tammany found Colombo's crew were living on a boat,
Big Chief said: "They're floaters," and he would not let them vote, Then to the tribe he wrote:

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Get those Dagoes jobs at once, they can vote in twelve more months.
Tammany, Tammany,
Make those floaters Tammany voters, Tammany.

4.

Fifteen thousand Irishmen from Erin came across,
Tammany put these Irish Indians on the Police force.
I asked one cop, if he wanted three platoons or four,
He said: "Keep your old platoons, I've got a cuspidor, What would I want with more?"

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Your policeman can't be beat, They can sleep on any street.
Tammany, Tammany,
Dusk is creping, they're all sleeping, Tammany.

5.

When Reformers think its time to show activity,
They blame everything that's bad on poor old Tammany.
All the farmers think that Tammany, caused old Adam's fall,
They say when a bad man dies he goes to Tammany hall, Tammany's blamed for all.

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
When a farmer's tax is due, he puts all the blame on you.
Tammany, Tammany,
On the level you're a devil, Tammany.

6.

Doctor Osler says all men of sixty we should kill,
That would give old Tammany a lot of jobs to fill.
They would chloroform old Doctor Parkhurst first I know
After that they'd fix Tom Platt, because they love him so, And then Depew would go.

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
When you chloroform to kill, don't forget old Dave B. Hill.
Tammany, Tammany,
Rope 'em, Rope 'em, and we'll dope 'em, Tammany.

7.

If we'd let the women vote, they would all get rich soon,
Think how old man Platt gave all his money to a coon.
Mrs. Chadwick is a girl, who'd lead in politics,
She could show our politicians lots of little tricks, the Wall street vote she'd fix.

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Cassie Chadwick leads them all, she should be in Tammany Hall.
Tammany, Tammany,
Who got rich quick? Cassie Chadwick, Tammany.

8.

Tammany's chief is digging out a railroad station here,
He shut off the water mains, on folks who can't buy beer,
He put in steam shovels, to lay off the workingmen,
Tammany will never see a chief like him again, He's the poor man's friend.

Chorus.
Tammany, Tammany,
Murphy is your big Chief's name, he's a Rothschild just the same.
Tammany, Tammany,
Willie Hearst will do his worst to Tammany.

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