The Babbitt and the Bromide
Fred Astaire

A babbitt met a bromide on the avenue one day,
And held a conversation in their own peculiar way;

They both were solid citizens, they both had been around,
And as they spoke you clearly saw their feet were on the ground!

Hello!
How are you?
How's the folks?
What's new?
I'm great!
That's good!
Huh-huh!
Touch wood!
Well well!
what say?
How've you been?
Nice day!
How's things?
What's new?
That's fine!
How are you?

Nice weather we are having, but it gives me such a pain,
I've brought my umbrella so of course it doesn't rain!

Well, hey'ho!
That's life!
What's new?
How's the wife?
Got to run!
Oh my!
Ta-ta!
Olive oil!
Goodbye!


Ten years went quickly by for both these subste-antial men,
And then it happened that one day they chanced to meet again!

That they had both developed in ten years there was no doubt,
And so of course they had an awful lot to talk about!

Hello!
How are you?
How's the folks?
What's new?
I'm great!
That's good!
Huh-huh!
Touch wood!
Well well!
what say?
How've you been?
Nice day!
How's things?
What's new?
That's fine!
How are you?


I seem to know your face but I just can't recall your name!

Well how've you been old boy? You're looking just about the same!

Well, hey'ho!
That's life!
What's new?
How's the wife?
Got to run!
Oh my!
Ta-ta!
Olive oil!
Goodbye!


Before they met again, some twenty years they had to wait;
This time it happened up above, inside Saint Peter's gate!

A harp each one was carrying, and both were wearing wings,
and this is what they said as they were strumming on the strings;

Hello!
How are you?
How's the folks?
What's new?
Got to run!
Oh my!
Ta-ta!
Olive oil!
Goodbye!


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Lyrics by Fred Astaire

  'S Wonderful   A Fine Romance   A Fine Romance [*]   A Fine Romance [Alternate Take][#]   A Fine Romance [From Swing Time]   A Foggy Day   A Foggy Day (A Damsel in Distress)   A Foggy Day (In London Town) [From A Damsel in Dis...   A Foggy Day [From A Damsel in Distress]   A Foggy Day in London Town [From Damsel in Distres...   A Needle in a Haystack   A Needle in a Haystack [From The Gay Divorcee]   A New Sun in the Sky   A Nice Work If You Can Get It [From Damsel in Disr...   After You, Who?   After You, Who? [Gay Divorce]   All by Myself   All of You   All of You (Silk Stockings)   All of You [Extended Version]   All of You [From Silk Stockings]   Blue Skies   Bojangles Of Harlem   Bojangles of Harlem [*]   Bojangles of Harlem [From Swing Time]   By Myself   By Myself [From The Band Wagon]   Carioca   Change Partners   Change Partners [From Carefree][#]   Cheek To Cheek   Cheek to Cheek [*]   Cheek to Cheek [From the Green Mile]   Cheek To Cheek [From The Purple Rose Of Cairo (198...   Cheek to Cheek [From the Purple Rose of Cairo]   Cheek to Cheek [From Top Hat]   Cheek to Cheek {from Top Hat}   Coffee Time [Yolanda and the Thief]   Dancing in the Dark   Dancing in the Dark [From the Bandwagon]   Dearly Belove   Dearly Beloved   Dearly Beloved [*]   Dearly Beloved [From You Were Never Lovelier]   Dream Dancing   Fascinating Rhythm   Fascinating Rhythm [From Lady, Be Good!]   Fast Dances [Instrumental]   Flying Down To Rio   Flying Down to Rio [From Flying Down to Rio]   Flying Down to Rio [From Flying Down to Rio][#]   Foggy Day [From A Damsel in Distress]   Funny Face   Funny Face [From Funny Face]   Funny Face [Tip Toes]   Hang on to Me   Hang On to Me [From Lady, Be Good!]   Happy Holidays   He Loves and She Loves   He Loves and She Loves [From Funny Face]   Heat Wave   Hoops   Hoops [From The Band Wagon]   How Are Things in Glocca Morra?   How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You W...   How Long Has This Been Going On? [Cut from Origina...   How Lucky Can You Get   How Lucky Can You Get [The Pleasure of Your Compan...   How Lucky Can You Get?   I Can't Be Bothered Now   I Concentrate on You   I Left My Hat in Haiti   I Love Louisa   I Love to Dance Like They Used to Dance   I Used to Be Color Blind   I Used to Be Color Blind [From Carefree][#]   I Wanna Be Loved By You [#]   I Won't Dance   I Won't Dance   I'd Rather Charleston   I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown   I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket   I've Got My Eyes on You   I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket   In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening   Isn't This A Lovely Day   Isn't This a Lovely Day?   Isn't This A Lovely Day   Jam Session [Instrumental]   Jam Session for a Dancer [Instrumental]   Let Yourself Go   Let Yourself Go [From Follow the Fleet]   Let Yourself Go [From Follow the Fleet][#]   Let's Call The Whole Thing Off   Let's Face The Music And Dance   Let's Call The Whole Thing Off   Let's Face The Music And Dance   Look to the Rainbow   Love Of My Life   Lovely to Look At   Manhattan Downbeat   Me and the Ghost Upstairs   Medium Dance [Instrumental]   Medley: Lovely to Look At   Miss Otis Regrets   My Eyes Adored You   My One and Only   My One And Only [From Funny Face]   My One and Only Highland Fling   My One and Only Highland Fling [From The Barkleys ...   My Sunny Tennessee   Needle in a Haystack   Never Gonna Dance   Never Gonna Dance [*]   Never Gonna Dance [From Swing Time]   New Sun in the Sky   New Sun in the Sky [From The Band Wagon]   Nice Work If You Can Get It   Nice Work If You Can Get It [*]   Nice Work If You Can Get It [*]   Nice Work If You Can Get It [From A Damsel in Dist...   Night And Day   Night and Day [*]   Night and Day [#]   Night and Day [From Gay Divorcee]   Night and Day [From the Gay Divorce]   Night and Day [From the Gay Divorcee]   Night and Day [The Gay Divorcee]   No Strings I'm Fancy Free   No Strings I'm Fancy Free   Not My Girl   Oh Lady Be Good   Oh, Lady Be Good   On The Beam   One For My Baby   Paris Loves Lovers   Pick Yourself Up   Pick Yourself Up [*]   Pick Yourself Up [From Swing Time]   Pick Yourself Up [Swing Time]   Pick Yourself Up [The Pleasure of Your Company]   Poor Mister Chisholm   Poor Mister Chisholm [From Second Chorus]   Put a Shine on Your Shoes   Puttin On The Ritz   Puttin' on the Ritz   Santa Claus Is Coming to Town   Shall We Dance   Shall We Dance?   Sing   Sing [The Pleasure of Your Company]   Slap That Bass   Slap That Bass [Alternate Take]   Slap That Bass [From Shall We Dance]   Slow Dances [Instrumental]   So Near and Yet So Far   Spring Spring Spring   Spring, Spring, Spring   Spring, Spring, Spring [The Pleasure of Your Compa...   Steppin' Out with My Baby   Swiss Miss   Swiss Miss [From Lady, Be Good!]   The A Shine on Your Shoes   The Astaire Blues [Instrumental]   The Babbitt and the Bromide [From Ziegfried Follie...   The By Myself   The By Myself (Reprise)   The Carioca   The Continental   The Continental [From the Gay Divorcée]   The Continental [From The Gay Divorcee]   The Half of It, Dearie, Blues   The I Love Louisa   The Piccolino   The Second Astaire Blues [Instrumental]   The Way Yo Look Tonight   The Way You Look Tonight   The Way You Look Tonight [*]   The Way You Look Tonight [From Swing Time]   The Way You Look Tonight [Swing Time]   They All Laughed   They All Laughed [From Shall We Dance?]   They All Laughed [From Shall We Dance]   They All Laughed [With Extended Chorus]   They Can't Take That Away from Me   They Can't Take That Away From Me   Things Are Looking Up   Things Are Looking Up [From A Damsel in Distress]   This Heart Of Mine   Top Hat, White Tie And Tails   Top Hat, White Tie and Tails [From Top Hat]   Ve   Waltz in Swing Time [From Swing Time][Instrumental...   White Christmas   You Were Never Lovelier   You Were Never Lovelier [*]   You Were Never Lovelier [From You Were Never Lovel...   You're All The World To Me   You're Easy To Dance With   You're Easy To Dance With

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