Shuffle Off To Buffalo

Written for: Forty-Second Street (1933)
Performer: Ruby Keeler, Clarence Nordstrom, Ginger Rogers, Una Merkel & Studio Chorus
Lyric: Al Dubin
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1932
Original publisher: M. Witmark & Sons

American sheet music version:

Verse:

Now that we have had the rice and flowers,
The knot is tied;
I can visu'lize such happy hours
Close by your side.
The honeymoon in store
Is one that you'll adore,
I'm gonna take you for a ride;

Chorus 1:

I'll go home and get my panties,
You go home and get your scanties,
And away we'll go;
Mm, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
To Niag'ra in a sleeper,
There's no honeymoon that's cheaper,
And the train goes slow;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
Someday, the stork may pay a visit
And leave a little souvenir;
Just a little cute "what-is-it?"
But we'll discuss that later, dear.
For a little silver quarter,
We can have the Pullman porter
Turn the lights down low;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.

Chorus 2 (from movie):

I'll go home and get my panties,
You go home and get your scanties,
And away we'll go;
Mm, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
To Niag'ra in a sleeper,
There's no honeymoon that's cheaper,
And the train goes slow;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
Someday, the stork may pay a visit
And leave a little souvenir;
Just a little cute "what-is-it?"
But we'll discuss that later, dear.
For a little silver quarter,
We can have the Pullman porter
Turn the lights down low;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.

British sheet music version:

Verse 1:

Now that we have had the rice and flowers,
The knot is tied;
I can visu'lize such happy hours
Close by your side.
The honeymoon in store
Is one that you'll adore,
I'm gonna take you for a ride;

Chorus 1:

I'll go home and pack my clothesies,
You go get your these and thoseies,
And away we'll go;
Mm, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
To Niag'ra in a sleeper,
There's no honeymoon that's cheaper,
And the train goes slow;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
Someday, the stork may pay a visit
And leave a little souvenir;
Just a little cute "what-is-it?"
But we'll discuss that later, dear.
For a little silver quarter,
We can have the Pullman porter
Turn the lights down low;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.

Chorus 2:

I'll go home and pack my clothesies,
You go get your these and thoseies,
And away we'll go;
Mm, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
To Niag'ra in a sleeper,
There's no honeymoon that's cheaper,
And the train goes slow;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
Someday, the stork may pay a visit
And leave a little souvenir;
Just a little cute "what-is-it?"
But we'll discuss that later, dear.
While the passengers are sleeping,
The conductor will be keeping
All the lights down low;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.

Verse 2:

With the wedding ring upon your finger,
It's done, we're one;
It's not customary that we linger,
And so let's go.
We'll dodge the rice and shoes,
We're going for a cruise
'Way up the road to Buffalo;

[Choruses]

Movie version:

Verse:

Now that we have had the rice and flowers,
The knot is tied;
I can visu'lize such happy hours
Right by your side.
The honeymoon in store
Is one that you'll adore,
I'm gonna take you for a ride;

Chorus 1:

I'll go home and get my panties,
You go home and get your scanties,
And away we'll go;
Mm, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
To Niag'ra in a sleeper,
There's no honeymoon that's cheaper,
And the train goes slow;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
Some day, I hope we'll be elected
To buy a lot of baby clothes;
We don't know when to expect it,
But it's a cinch that Winchell knows!
For a little silver quarter,
We can have the Pullman porter
Turn the lights down low;
Ooh, off we're gonna shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.

Chorus 2:

Matrimony is baloney,
She'll be wanting alimony
In a year or so;
Still they go and shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.
When she knows as much as we know,
She'll be on her way to Reno,
While he still has dough;
She'll give him the shuffle
When they're back from Buffalo.
I'll bet that she's the farmer's daughter
And he's that well-known traveling man;
He once stopped down at the farm house,
That's how the whole affair began!
He did right by little Nelly
With a shotgun at his bel…tummy,
How could he say, "No?"
He just had to shuffle,
Shuffle off to Buffalo.