BUSY DOING NOTHING
From the film "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" (1949)
(Jimmy Van Heusen / Johnny Burke)


Bing Crosby, William Bendix, Cedric Hardwicke (Film Soundtrack)- 1949
Vaughn Monroe & His Orch. (vocals: Monroe & The Moon Maids) - 1949
The Modernaires - 1949
Jack Smith - 1949


Also recorded by: Peter & The Test Tube Babies;
The Ivy League; Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin.






La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la


We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


I have to watch the river
To see that it doesn't stop
And stick around the rosebuds
So they'll know when to pop
And keep the crickets cheerful
They're really a solemn bunch
Hustle, bustle
And only an hour for lunch


La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la


We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


I have to wake the Sun up
He's liable to sleep all day
And then inspect the rainbows
So they'll be bright and gay
I must rehearse the songbirds
To see that they sing in key
Hustle, bustle
And never a moment free


(Orchestral Break)


We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy going nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


I have to meet a turtle
I'm teachin' him how to swim
Then I have to shine the dewdrops
You know they're looking rather dim
I told my friend, the robin
I'd buy him a brand new vest
Hustle, bustle
We never do have
We never do have
We never do, never do
Never do, never do, never do have the time
Never do have the time




**********




As performed in the film 
"A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court":




ALL:
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la


ALL:
We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


CEDRIC HARDWICKE:
I have to watch the river
To see that it doesn't stop
And stick around the rosebuds
So they'll know when to pop
BING CROSBY:
Better keep the crickets cheerful
They're really a solemn bunch
ALL:
Hustle, bustle
WILLIAM BENDIX:
And only an hour for lunch


ALL:
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la


(CROSBY: Ah! Shall we procede?)


ALL:
We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy going nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


BENDIX:
I have to wake the Sun up
He's liable to sleep all day
(CROSBY: Taroo)
And then inspect the rainbows
So they'll be bright and gay
CROSBY & HARDWICKE:
You must rehearse the songbirds
To see that they sing in key
(BENDIX: If you insist)
(CROSBY: I dust, I dust)
ALL:
Hustle, bustle
And never a moment free


ALL:
We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
We're busy going nowhere
Isn't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time


(CROSBY: Going to the game?)


CROSBY:
I have to meet a turtle
I'm teachin' him how to swim
Then I have to shine the dewdrops
You know they're looking rather dim
(BENDIX: No!)
I told my friend, the robin
I'd buy him a brand new vest
ALL:
Hustle, bustle
CROSBY:
I wish I could take a rest


BENDIX: 
Tryin' to find lots of things not to do
HARDWICKE:
Isn't it just a crime
CROSBY:
We'd better make it snappy
There's another hill to climb
ALL:
We'd like to be unhappy, but
CROSBY:
We never do have
HARDWICKE: We never do have
BENDIX: We never do, never do
ALL:
Never do, never do, never do have the time
Never do have the time




(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - July 2008)