He told me to watch the door
Watch the door, that's what he said
That's what he said
I should make sure
No one came and interrupted
Well, I'd say, once or twice a month
He'd tell me, "Jim, you watch the door"
"I got a lady coming"
"I got a lady coming"
Like I said, once or twice a month
There'd be a lady come to call
And he'd say, "Jim, you watch the door"
That's what he said
And once, I remember, it was two ladies!
There was a black gentleman, I believe he said he was from Chicago—
Alright, then, Jim, will you tell us about the morning of April twenty-sixth?
The day of the parade
He told me to watch the door
Watch the door, that's what he said
That's what he said
"I got a girl, she'll be coming up to see me"
"She's a very pretty girl," he said
"Don't let me catch you looking at Miss Mary Perkins!"
That's what he called her, I think
Miss Mary Perkins
So when this Mary came to call
I kept my eyes down to the floor
'Cause Mr. Frank said not to look
That's what he said
Well, next thing, Mr. Frank is yelling some
So I... I run upstairs, and I open the door
And Mr. Frank looks up
He said, "We were playing a game"
Playing a game, that's what he said
That's what he said
And little Mary's kinda crumpled in the corner
He said, "You don't understand
She didn't want to play the game
And so I went and hit her
See, I had to hit her!"
He told me I should go and look
He said "she's acting like she's sick"
And I said, "Lord, that child is dead!"
That's what I said
And he said, "No! No!
It ain't my fault that girl is dead!"
He said "No! No!"
That's what he said! (That's what he said)
He said "No! No!"
And his eyes were wild and his face was red
He said "No! No!"
That's what he said! (That's what he said, that's what he, what he said)
He said "Gotta get her out, let's get her out"
That's what he said (That's what he said)
And so I found me this old gunnin' sack and wrapped her
He said, "You're a good boy, Jim!"
"I know you won't tell no one nothing
Here's a hundred dollars" (A hundred dollars)
I got a hundred dollars (A hundred dollars)
So I put her on my back
We took the elevator down
He said, "Just... throw it on the ground!"
That's what he said (That's what he said)
Yes, he said "No! No!
There ain't no reason I should hang!"
He said "No! No!"
That's what he said! (That's what he said)
He said "No! No!
There ain't no reason I should hang!
You got money in your pocket
And there's plenty more of that
And I got wealthy friends and family
And a wife who's dumb and fat
And I got rich folks out in Brooklyn
If I need some place to go!
And these stupid rednecks never gonna know!"
No! No!
Not my fault that honey's dead
He said, "No! No!"
That's what he said!
He said "No! No!"
And his eyes were wild and his face was red
He said "No!" (No, no, that's what he said!)
That's what he said!