Well, I just put the kids to sleep   And swept the shack   Took my sweet man?s satchel down   And watched him pack      I said, "Darlin?, while the stove still smolders   Unpin your woman?s hair and rub her shoulders"   I threw myself across the doorway   Beggin?, "Stay, sweet man, stay"      But there?s more in my man?s life   Than this old hag   It?s jelly roll Morton and a shiny cornet   And jazzin? the rag      The lady ain?t been born   Can take the place of a horn   With a cornet man   A-goin? where there?s blowin?      Trav?lin? cornet man   Just anytime they call him   He?ll leave his wife and kiddies   Sittin? with their tongues out      To play for peanuts in a dive   And blow his lungs out   He?ll hop a choo-choo on a moment?s notice   To play some dates with Billy Bates      Or rag-time otis   The lady ain?t see light   Can give a horn a fair fight   With a cornet man      A rootin?, shootin?, ever-tootin? dapper dan   Who carries in his satchel   A powder-blue norfolk suit   A silver-plated wah-wah mute      There is whiskey, gamblin?, each one is a curse   But I?m up against a devil that?s worse   Yes, a horn is my thorn   My trav?lin? cornet man      Kill yourself   tell me about it! yeah, yeah      A powder-blue norfolk suit   I said a silver-plated wah-wah mute   Oh he?s shy on height   He?s short on weight      But he?s the only man   Can make my coffee peculate   A dapper dan   My cornet-playin? man