When You're Good To Mama

And now, ladies and gentlemen

The Keeper of the Keys

The Countess of the Clink

The Mistress of Murderer's Row

Matron Mama Morton

Ask any of the chickies in my pen

They'll tell you I'm the biggest mother hen

I love them all and all of them love me

Because the system works, the system called reciprocity

Got a little motto, always sees me through

When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you

There's a lot of favors I'm prepared to do

You do one for Mama, she'll do one for you

They say that life is tit for tat and that's the way I live

So I deserve a lot of tat for what I've got to give

Don't you know that this hand washes that one too?

When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you

If you want my gravy, pepper my Ragù

Spice it up for Mama, she'll get hot for you

When they pass that basket folks contribute to

You put in for Mama, and she'll put out for you

The folks atop the ladder are the ones the world adores

So boost me up my ladder, kid, and I'll boost you up yours

Let's all stroke together like the Princeton crew

When you're strokin' Mama, Mama's strokin' you

So what's the one conclusion I can bring this number to?

When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you

Aw, yeah!