Jamboree Jones (Johnny Mercer)
I begin my story out in West Virginia, in a little college.
All the student body only cared for football, never mind the knowledge.
Never mind the sheepskin,
They preferred the pigskin, seemed to have it in their bones.
They knew all about it, couldn't live without it –
All except a certain Mister Jamboree Jones.
He played the clarinet with all his might.
He studied night and day, he practiced day and night.
No running up the field for Mister Jones:
He'd rather run up the scale and down the scale, what tones!
Even though his buddies always cut their studies to attend a rally;
while they all were rootin', you could hear him tootin'
"What Became of Sally".
How they used to hate him,
co-eds wouldn't date him, thought he was an awful bore.
But he liked his rhythm more than bein' with 'em,
so he only grinned and went to practice some more.
Meanwhile, the team marched on to greater fame,
Till they were asked to play the famous Rose Bowl Game.
And on that day of days the students beamed:
What did they do when the team marched on the field - they screamed.
Startin' from the kick-off they pulled ev'ry trick off, but they couldn't win
it. 'Stead of goin' forward they were goin' backward 'bout a mile a
minute.
Seein' their position they called intermission, and they heard the ref'ree say,
"Seventeen to nothin' ain't exactly nothin',
and you've only got about a minute to play."
Then from the stands there came a distant wail, and it was Jamboree a-swingin'
"Hold 'em, Yale." And then the students all began to yell:
The players marched up the field and down the field, pell mell.
Rah Rah Rah Rah, Sis Boom Bah Bah, Bop De Oddle-da, Yea Bo,
Watch 'em go.
Now, on a certain West Virginia hill, there stands that college still,
Just as it always will.
And there's a picture in its Hall of Fame:
You'll see the boy in the frame who won the game –
Jamboree Jones is the gentleman's name.
