Honeymoon Hotel
Written for: Footlight Parade (1933)
Performer: Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler & Studio Chorus
Lyric: Al Dubin
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1933
Original publisher: M. Witmark & Sons
Sheet music version:
Verse 1:
How am I to say
What I want to say
In the proper way,
My dear?
I'm not a gallant cavalier,
But I'm sincere.
So, I'm gonna say
All I have to say
In the language of the day;
You may have heard it all before,
But here it goes once more.
Chorus:
How about a little celebration
To the jingle of a wedding bell?
How about about a little reservation
At the Honeymoon Hotel?
Honeymooning's gonna be my hobby,
Don't you think a honeymoon is swell?
Wait until we walk into the lobby
Of the Honeymoon Hotel.
Cupid is the night clerk
'Neath the stars above;
He just loves his night work,
And we just love to love.
Oh, I'm a mister looking for a missus,
As a missus, you'll do very well,
Bring along your things and all your kisses
To the Honeymoon Hotel.
Verse 2 (from British sheet music):
You've been lovely to
Listen till I'm through,
Now the rest is up to you;
Honey, what will your answer be?
R. S. V. P.
Answer right away,
'Cause until the day
That I hear you say, "I do;"
May I just sing to you once more,
The song I sang before?
[Chorus]
Movie version:
Verse:
(Dick Powell:) How am I to say
What I wanna say
In the proper way,
My dear?
I'm not a gallant cavalier,
But I'm sincere.
So, I'm gonna say
What I have to say
In the language of the day;
You may have heard it all before,
But here it goes once more.
Chorus 1:
(Powell:) How about a little celebration
To the jingle of a wedding bell?
How about a little reservation
At the Honeymoon Hotel?
Honeymooning's going to be my hobby,
Don't you think a honeymoon is swell?
Wait until we walk into the lobby
Of the Honeymoon Hotel.
Cupid is the night clerk
'Neath the stars above;
He just loves his night work,
Mm, we just love to love.
Oh, I'm a mister lookin' for a missus.
As a missus, you'll do very well.
Bring along your things and all your kisses
To the Honeymoon Hotel.
Chorus 2:
(Concierge:) I'm the man in charge of transportation,
I will see that ev'rything goes well.
(Desk clerk:) I'm the clerk in charge of registration
At the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Bellboy:) I'm the boy who carries up a sidle
Any time you push a little bell.
(Woman:) Bridal suites are never very idle
At the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Two detectives:) We're the house detectives,
But we're puzzled with <spit>
The fact that no one stops here
Unless their name is Smith. <spit>
(Telephone girl:) I'm the girl in charge of conversation,
I hear things I wouldn't dare to tell.
(Porter:) I's the captain of the comfort station
At the Honeymoon Hotel.
Interlude:
INSTRUMENTAL
(Bellboy, spoken:) Paging Mister Smith, Mister Smith!
<Interlude continues>
(Family, spoken:) Ahhh!
Chorus 3:
(Mother, sung:) Aren't you glad to see your dear old mother?
Tell me why you didn't let us know.
(Father, sung:) No, they didn't notify us, mother;
(Father, spoken:) Ha-ha.
(Father, sung:) But they will when they need dough!
(Father, spoken:) Oh, yes.
(Aunt, sung:) Aunt Matilda has a present for you.
It will come in handy, you can bet.
(Uncle, sung:) We got that just twenty years before you,
But it ain't been used as yet.
(Sister, sung:) Congratulations, sister,
All your clouds have passed.
(Brother, sung:) Congratulations, father,
She's off your hands at last.
(Powell, sung:) Course you know that all of you are welcome,
(Ruby Keeler, sung:) I'm so glad to see you, I could cry.
(Midget, sung:) It's a lot of hooey that we're welcome!
(Powell & Keeler, spoken:) We'll be seeing you, goodbye.
(Family, spoken:) Goodbye.
Interlude:
INSTRUMENTAL
Verse 2 (Chorus girls, spoken):
(Girl 1:) I've been notified
There's a little bride
All alone in Number Two;
(Girl 2:) I think we ought to see her through.
(Girl 3:) I will.
(Girl 4) Me, too.
(Girl 5) We've been here a week.
(Girl 6:) When you're here a week,
Then you're qualified to speak.
(Girl 7:) Let's tell her what it's all about.
(Girl 8:) My dear, will you come out?
Chorus 4 (Keeler & girls, half-sung):
(Keeler:) Oh, I'm glad it's you, I feel so nervous;
I don't know my husband very well.
(Girl 9:) Husbands are a feature of the service
At the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Keeler:) Gee, I'm sorry that I ever, ever
Left my little home in New Rochelle.
(Girl 10:) Wait a while, you'll want to stay forever
(All girls:) At the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Two detectives:) Girls, you'll have to scatter.
(All girls:) We don't see why we should.
(Two detectives:) <spit> You're in Jersey City
And not in Hollywood! <spit>
(Men (husbands), sung:) We've got to be in bed before eleven,
That's a rule we think is very swell,
'Cause every little bridal suite is heaven
At the Honeymoon Hotel.
Interlude:
INSTRUMENTAL
Partial Chorus 5:
(Powell, half-sung:) Kiss your little honey boy good-night, girl,
Now we're married, dear, and here we are.
I've a right to be beside the right girl;
(Midget, half-spoken:) But you're in the wrong boudoir!
Interlude:
INSTRUMENTAL
Chorus 6 (half-sung):
(Powell, spoken:) Aw, honey!
(Keeler:) Don't you dare to lie to me, I caught you.
(Powell, spoken:) But, darling!
(Keeler:) Getting friendly with that blonde gazelle.
(Powell:) Please don't make me sorry that I brought you
To the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Keeler:) In the morning, I'll see my attorney,
I will have my little tale to tell.
(Powell:) And for this I took you on this journey
To the Honeymoon Hotel.
(Keeler:) Who was that blonde woman
Making eyes at you?
(Powell:) I don't know that woman,
I cross my heart it's true.
(Keeler:) If I hurt your feelings, I regret it,
Won't you please forgive your little Nell?
(Powell:) Ah, let's turn out the lights and just forget it…
