Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Robert Preston
Robert Preston
Vocals
Original Broadway Cast of 'The Music Man'
Original Broadway Cast of 'The Music Man'
Performer
Herbert Greene
Herbert Greene
Music Director
Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook
Performer
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Meredith Willson
Meredith Willson
Composer
Franklin Lacey
Franklin Lacey
Book
Herbert Greene
Herbert Greene
Vocal Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Dickie Jones
Dickie Jones
Producer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Please, folks, may I have your attention, please
Attention, please
I can deal with the troubled friends with a wave of my hand
This very hand
Please observe me, if you will
I'm professor Harold Hill
And I'm here to organize a River City boys' band
[Verse 2]
Oh think, my friends, how could any pool table
Ever hope to compete with a gold trombone?
Rah-rah, rah-dee-dat-dah-dah, rah-rah
Remember, my friends, what a handful of trumpet players
Did to the famous fabled walls of Jericho
Oh, billiard parlor walls come a-tumblin' down
[Verse 3]
Oh, a band'll do it, my friends
Oh yes, I said a boys' band, do you hear me?
I said River City gotta have a boys' band
And I mean, she needs it today
Well, Professor Harold Hills on hand
River City's gonna have her boys' band
As sure as the Lord made little green apples
And that band's gonna be in uniform
Johnny, Willy, Teddy, Fred
[Verse 4]
And you'll see the glitter of crashing cymbals
And you'll hear the thunder of rolling drums
And the shimmer of trumpets, ta-ta-ta
And you'll feel some akin to the electric thrill I once enjoyed
When Gilmore, Librati, Pat Conway
The Great Creator, W.C. Handy and John Philip Sousa
All came to town on the very same historic day
[Verse 5]
Seventy six trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand
They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos
The cream of every famous band
[Verse 6]
Seventy six trombones caught the morning sun
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind
There were more than a thousand reeds springing up like weeds
There were horns of every shape and kind
[Verse 7]
There were copper bottom tympani in horse platoons
Thundering, thundering all along the way
Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons
Each bassoon having his big fat say
[Verse 8]
There were fifty mounted cannon in the battery
Thundering, thundering louder than before
Clarinets of every size and trumpeters who'd improvise
A full octave higher than the score
[Verse 9]
Seventy six trombones hit the counter point
While a hundred and ten cornets blazed the way
To the rhythm of harch, harch, harch, all the kids began to march
And they're marching still right today
Written by: Meredith Willson
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