The Gay Continental

Written for: The Caddy (1953)
Performer: Jerry Lewis
Lyric: Jack Brooks
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1953
Original publisher: Paramount Music Corporation

Verse:

From Miami to London,
From London to Boston,
I'm known as the gay continental.
Continent, continent, continental.
And I got this way quite accidental-
(Spoken:) ly.
(Sung:) All my people have riches
And velveteen britches,
And white tie and tails and top hats on.
And top hats, and top hats, and top hats on.
And they breakfast in bed with their spats on.

Chorus 1:

Life's a bore,
Having cocktails and tea around four.
Whee, fiddle-de-dee,
I keep drinking as long as they're free.
Now my old fam'ly tree
Is so precious to me;
It's the sturdy ol' tree I was sprung from.
I was sprung, I was sprung, I was sprung from;
It's the tree that my grandpaw was hung from.
Though I can't pay my rental,
A gay continental am I.

Chorus 2:

Hi, ho, hum,
I'm a high-class society crumb.
C'est la vie:
Now in French that means nothing to me.
Oui, oui!
My old fam'ly estate
Is so big and sedate;
If you happen my way, give a look in.
Give a look, give a look, give a look in
On the Rue de la Flatbush in Brooklyn.
I'm a wee temp'ramental,
At times, detrimental,
My money's parental,
My attitude's mental,
My upper plate's dental,
A gay continental am I.