You Can't Keep a Growing Lad Down

In a drapers I started work

Why I thought that I'd make good

When a girl came in for some hose

I simply brushed to the tip of me nose

She showed me her ankle, the saucy young miss

But I went one better, I asked for a kiss

Because you can't keep a growing lad down

Youth will have its fling

I worked there a month, the money was poor

But something seemed to tell me something better was in store

I kept persevering at that drapers store in town

I started in the basement, it was dull I declare

But worked my way up floor by floor and wouldn't despair

I soon got to the top 'cause all the girls sleep up there

You can't keep a growing lad down

One day someone knocked at our door

A knock, a knock, such loud knocks

I got scared, all goosey I went

Thought it's the landlord call round for the rent

I peeked through the blind, saw a flapper, oh gee

I said to the wife "You can leave this to me"

Because you can't keep a growing lad down

Youth will have its fling

She smiled and then said, in a shy sort of tone

"I've called to know what you can give towards the children's home"

I felt embarrassed, acted like a silly clown

I said "We haven't any children, not even one

We're only newly married, we have hardly begun

But with the wife I'll talk it over and see what can be done"

You can't keep a growing lad down