Song lyrics to Johnny One Note (1937), words by Lorenz Hart, music by Richard Rodgers
Johnny One Note is a 1937 show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms. Judy Garland sang it in the Rodgers & Hart musical biography, Words and Music (1948).
Johnny could only sing one note
And the note he sang was this
Ahh
Poor Johnny one note sang out with gusto
And just over lorded the place
Poor Johnny one note, yelled willy nilly
Until he was blue in the face
For holding one note was his ace
Couldn’t hear the brass
Couldn’t hear the drum
He was in a class, by himself, by gum
Poor Johnny one note got in Aida
Indeed a great chance to be brave
He took his one note, howled like the north wind
Brought forth wind that made critics rave
While Verdi turned ’round in his grave
Couldn’t hear the flute
Or the big trombone
Every one was mute, Johnny stood alone
Cats and dogs stopped yapping
Lions in the zoo all were jealous of Johnny’s big trill
Thunder claps stopped clapping
Traffic ceased its roar and they tell us Niagara stood still
He stopped the train whistles, boat whistles
Steam whistles, cop whistles
All whistles bowed to his skill
Ahh
Sing Johnny one note, sing out with gusto
And just overwhelm all the crowd
So sing Johnny one note, out loud
Sing Johnny one note
Sing Johnny one note out loud