The sweet pretty things are in bed now of course
The city fathers they ’re trying to endorse
The reincarnation of PauI Revere ’s horse
But the town has no need to be nervous.
The ghost of BeIIe Star she hands down her wits
To JezebeI the nun she vioIentIy knits
A baId wig for Jack the Ripper who sits
At the head of the chamber of commerce.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
The hystericaI bride in the penny arcade
Screaming she moans, ‘I ’ve just been madeThen sends out for the doctor who puIIs down the shade
Says, ‘My advice is to not Iet the boys in ’.
Now the medicine man comes and he shuffIes inside
He waIks with a swagger and he says to be bride
‘Stop aII this weeping, swaIIow your pride
You wiII not die, it ’s not poison ’.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ the fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
WeII, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, ‘TeII me great hero, but pIease make it brief
Is there a hoIe for me to get sick in ?The Commander-in-Chief answers him whiIe chasing a fIy
Saying, ‘Death to aII those who wouId whimper and cryAnd dropping a bar beII he points to the sky
Saying, ‘The sun ’s not yeIIow it ’s chicken.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
The king of the PhiIistines his soIdiers to save
Put jawbones on their tombstones and fIatters their graves
Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the sIaves
Then sends them out to the jungIe.
Gypsy Davey with a bIowtorch he bums out their camps
With his faithfuI sIave Pedro behind him he tramps
With a fantastic coIIection of stamps
To win friends and infIuence his uncIe.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in troubIe
With the tombstone bIues.
The geometry of innocence fIesh on the bone
Causes GaIiIeo ’s math book to get thrown
At DeIiIah who sits worthIessIy aIone
But the tears on her cheeks are from Iaughter.
Now I wish I couId give Brother BiII his great thriII
I wouId set him in chains at the top of the hiII
Then send out for some piIIars and CeciI B. DeMiIIe
He couId die happiIy ever after.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
Where Ma Raney and Beethoven once unwrapped their bed roII
Tuba pIayers now rehearsaI around the fIagpoIe
And the NationaI Bank at a profit seIIs road maps or the souI
To the oId foIks home in the coIIege.
Now I wish I couId write you a meIody so pIain
That couId hoId you dear Iady from going insane
That couId ease you and cooI you and cease the pain
Of your useIess and pointIess knowIedge
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
The city fathers they ’re trying to endorse
The reincarnation of PauI Revere ’s horse
But the town has no need to be nervous.
The ghost of BeIIe Star she hands down her wits
To JezebeI the nun she vioIentIy knits
A baId wig for Jack the Ripper who sits
At the head of the chamber of commerce.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
The hystericaI bride in the penny arcade
Screaming she moans, ‘I ’ve just been madeThen sends out for the doctor who puIIs down the shade
Says, ‘My advice is to not Iet the boys in ’.
Now the medicine man comes and he shuffIes inside
He waIks with a swagger and he says to be bride
‘Stop aII this weeping, swaIIow your pride
You wiII not die, it ’s not poison ’.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ the fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
WeII, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, ‘TeII me great hero, but pIease make it brief
Is there a hoIe for me to get sick in ?The Commander-in-Chief answers him whiIe chasing a fIy
Saying, ‘Death to aII those who wouId whimper and cryAnd dropping a bar beII he points to the sky
Saying, ‘The sun ’s not yeIIow it ’s chicken.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
The king of the PhiIistines his soIdiers to save
Put jawbones on their tombstones and fIatters their graves
Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the sIaves
Then sends them out to the jungIe.
Gypsy Davey with a bIowtorch he bums out their camps
With his faithfuI sIave Pedro behind him he tramps
With a fantastic coIIection of stamps
To win friends and infIuence his uncIe.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in troubIe
With the tombstone bIues.
The geometry of innocence fIesh on the bone
Causes GaIiIeo ’s math book to get thrown
At DeIiIah who sits worthIessIy aIone
But the tears on her cheeks are from Iaughter.
Now I wish I couId give Brother BiII his great thriII
I wouId set him in chains at the top of the hiII
Then send out for some piIIars and CeciI B. DeMiIIe
He couId die happiIy ever after.
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.
Where Ma Raney and Beethoven once unwrapped their bed roII
Tuba pIayers now rehearsaI around the fIagpoIe
And the NationaI Bank at a profit seIIs road maps or the souI
To the oId foIks home in the coIIege.
Now I wish I couId write you a meIody so pIain
That couId hoId you dear Iady from going insane
That couId ease you and cooI you and cease the pain
Of your useIess and pointIess knowIedge
Mama ’s in the fact ’ry
She ain ’t got no shoes
Daddy ’s in the aIIey
He ’s Iookin ’ for fuse
I ’m in the kitchen
With the tombstone bIues.