“Extra! Extra!”

As sung in Edward Harrigan’s Local Drama, “Old Lavender.”

Words by Edward Harriggan.
Music by Dave Braham.

O mister, I’m a newsboy, hustling night and day,
A selling of my papers, and that’s not easy play.
Down town in the morning before they’re up in York,
I’m waiting for my Heralds, and a dancing on the walk.

It’s “Extra! Extra!” ’round the town I go;
A murder and a suicide, and Barnum’s great big show.
It’s “Extra! Extra!” Congress in a fight–
Elopement o’er in Jersey, with a preacher getting tight.

On mister, there’s a cripple–little Jimmy Ryan,
I help him sell his papers because his mother’s blind.
Can’t he sing a ballad! it aint no use to talk!
A darling ‘mong the newsboys, when he’s singing on the walk.

It’s “Extra! Extra!” ’round the town I shout;
The Fenians captured Canada andd Gladstone’s got the gout.
It’s “Extra! Extra!” Sinking of a ship–
Embezzlement in Wall street, and a barber lost his lip.

We get our cakes and coffee red hot from the can,
With buckwheat cakes and lasses enough to feed a man.
All the Jersey farmers, and ev’ry country gawk,–
They stop to see the newsboys when they dance upon the walk.

It’s “Extra! Extra!” this is what I cry;
A Democratic vict’ry down in Penn-syl-va-ne-i.
It’s “Extra! Extra!” France and Germany,
They’re goin’ to fight with all their might to lick the poor Chinee.

I sit up in the gall’ry watching of the play;
Oh I know all the actors, and this is what they say,–
I am King of Denmark, you ought to hear me talk,
And pouting to the newsboys when we’re on the Herald walk.

It’s “Extra! Extra!” this is what I cry;
A blizzard out in Michigan–a marriage on the sly
It’s “Extra! Extra!” Cashier’s run away,
And collar’d all the boodle and he’s skipt to Canada.