On The 10:10 (From Ten-Ten-Tennessee)

Written for: Just For You (1952)
Lyric: Leo Robin
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1952
Original publisher: Famous Music Corporation

Sheet music version:

Chorus 1:

Gotta meet a cookie,
Talk about a snookie,
What a personality?
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.
Mighty hard to match her,
Hope the train dispatcher
Doesn't make it tough for me,
While I'm waitin' for the ten ten so ten-ten-tenderly.
Even if I don't know what time it is,
I'll be Johnny on the spot.
Yes, and I don't care what the climate is.
If she's there, boy, it's gotta be hot.
Smarter than a lawyer
And if you annoy 'er,
She's a load of T. N. T.
So, you better stay away, men,
Hallelujah and an amen,
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.

Chorus 2:

So, at ten eleven,
I'll be close to heaven,
With my little chickadee.
She's arrivin' on the ten ten but we'll stay up till three.
Pretty as a blossom,
She can bake a possum,
And she's gonna bake for me.
All she has to do is say when and I'll say, "Yes, sir-ee!"
Wait till you see that pair of Memphis eyes,
Wait until you hear that drawl.
Speakin' of looks I wish to emphasize,
She won first prize at the Janitors' Ball.
Once she met a deacon
And he didn't weaken,
But he shouted, "Glory be!"
Now she's gonna meet a parson,
Have a fifty-cent cigar, son.
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.

Half-chorus:

There was a very wealthy financier
Used to hang around her place.
After a while she got a lavaliere,
But all he got was a slap in the face.
If you meet her later,
Don't you try to date her,
'Cause she isn't fancy free.
Gotta buy a dozen orchids,
Incident'lly we adore kids.
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.

Movie version:

Chorus 1:

Well, I gotta meet a cookie,
Talk about a snookie,
What a personality?
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.
Mighty hard to match her,
Hope the train dispatcher
Doesn't make it tough for me,
While I'm waitin' for the ten ten from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.
Wait till you see that pair of Memphis eyes,
Wait until you hear that drawl, you all,
Speakin' of looks, I wish to emphasize,
She won first prize at the Janitor's Ball.
Once she met a deacon
And he didn't weaken,
But he shouted, "Glory Be,"
Now she's gonna meet a parson,
Have a fifty-cent cigar, son (Light up)
She's arrivin' on the ten ten,
Seven and three, six and four, five and five,
Why, that's the hard way, from Ten-Ten-Tennessee.

Chorus 2:

There was a very wealthy financier
That used to hang around her place,
After a while she got a lavaliere,
But all he got was a slap in the face (Ta Ta Ta Ta Tum).
Brother I hope that you've got steady nerves,
Wait until you see her strut;
She isn't fat but when it comes to curves,
That's what she hasn't anything but (Poing Poing Poing Poing Puh).
Even if I don't know what time it is,
I'll be Johnny on the spot,
Yes, and I don't care what the climate is,
Boy, if she's there it's got to be hot (Bow Wow Wow Bow Babum).
If you meet her later,
Don't you try to date her,
'Cause she isn't fancy-free.
Don't mess around with his babe,
So, you'd better stay away, men,
Hallelujah and an amen,
She's arrivin' on the ten ten,
And not the eight o eight, and not the nine o nine,
But the ten ten and that's fine, fine,
From Ten-Ten-Tennessee.
Got to buy a dozen orchids...
She's arrivin' on the ten ten from Ten-Ten, I said a-Tennessee.