"Cornet Man" lyrics

[Fanny convinces Eddie she has talent and he agrees to teach her the specialty for the next audition. She gets the job.]

[Fanny:]
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 any time 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 seen 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 percolate
A Dapper Dan
My cornet-playin' man

[After the performance, Nick Arnstein comes backstage elegant in formal dress, to pay off a gambling debt to Keeney
Nick has seen the show and tells Fanny she's going to be a big star some day
Fanny asks how much Keeney is paying her, and Nick manages to jack up her salary by pretending to bid on behalf of a competitor
He gives her his card and kisses her hand
Eddie asks Fanny out for a date, but she only wants to be friends
Already she has fallen for Nick, but imagines she'll never see him again]