Near Barcelona, the peasant crooned The old traditional Spanish tunes The Neapolitan street song sighs You think of Italian skies
Each nation has a creative vein Originating a native strain With folk songs plaintive and others gay In their own peculiar way
American folk songs, I feel Have a much stronger appeal
The real American folksong is a rag, a mental jag A rhythmic tonic for the chronic blues The critics called it a 'Joke Song' But now they've changed their tune and they like it, somehow
For it's inoculated with a syncopated sort of meter Sweeter than a classic strain, boy you can't remain still and quiet For it's a riot
The real American folksong is like a fountain of youth You taste and it elates you and then invigorates you The real American folksong, the masses coaxed on, is a rag
The real American folksong is a rag, a mental jag A rhythmic tonic for the chronic blues The critics called it a 'Joke Song' But now they've changed their tune and they like it, somehow
For it's inoculated with a syncopated sort of meter Sweeter than a classic strain, boy you can't remain still and quiet For it's a riot
The real American folksong is like a fountain of youth You taste and it elates you and then invigorates you The real American folksong is a rag