HENRY'S MADE A LADY OUT OF LIZZIE
(Walter O'Keefe)

Billy Jones & Ernest Hare - 1928


(SPOKEN) JONES: Oh, Ernest, who's that comin' down the street?
(SPOKEN) HARE: Oh, look her over, ain't she sweet.
(SPOKEN) JONES: That's not Lizzie, is it? How she's changed.
(SPOKEN) HARE: Yes, she's a lady now. She's outgrown her rattle.
(SPOKEN) JONES: Not a rattle in the carload. I suppose she has more
tin now than she ever had.
(SPOKEN) HARE: Yes, you never see her in alleyways any more. She
now sports the boulevard.
(SPOKEN) JONES: Introduce me, will you.
(SPOKEN) HARE: Why certainly. Sir Walter Raleigh, meet Queen
Elizabeth.
(SPOKEN) JONES: Carburated, I'm sure, carburated.
(SPOKEN) HARE: Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah.

JONES:
Have you seen her, ain't she great?
She's something you'll appreciate
HARE:
Say, I don't understand just who you mean
JONES: You don't? Why, ev'rybody, ev'rywhere
Is falling for her now
HARE:
Say, do you mean the new Ford?
JONES:
I do, and it's a wow!
Lay off people, lay off folks
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
HARE:
And no more bruises, no more aches
She now has got those four-wheel brakes
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
JONES:
She's even got a rumble seat
And lots of silent class
HARE:
The horn just seems to holler out
"Toot-toot, they shall not pass"
JONES:
The Lincoln car is made of tin
HARE:
They're sisters underneath the skin
BOTH:
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie

(SPOKEN) JONES: She's a great old girl, Ernest.
(SPOKEN) HARE: You bet she was, Bill.

JONES:
Now, when you see her, you'll agree
She's just the thing for you and me,
HARE:
I'd bet she's got most anything you'd ask
JONES:
Yes, sittin' pretty, yes I am
With her I'm always found
HARE:
Say, how about her chassis
JONES:
It's sure the best around
Now she's even learned to stop
For ev'ry single traffic cop
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
HARE:
Not a rattle, not a bit
Lizzie now has lots of "it"
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
JONES:
There's ev'rything inside her now
Except the kitchen sink
HARE:
A mirror and a powder puff
A shower bath, I think
JONES:
I'll bet my socks that this Miss Ford
HARE:
Will live as long as Fanny Ward
BOTH:
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie

BOTH:
C-O-D and F-O-V, all you need is doh-re-mi,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
Since he lifted up her face
She's travelled at an awful pace
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie
HARE:
She's not like Calvin Coolidge
She's a girl who likes her fun
JONES:
She says, "Imagine anyone who doesn't choose to run"
BOTH:
Good for sister, nice for Ma
Ev'rybody rides but Pa
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie

(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - August 2005)


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***TRIVIA: In 1927, after selling over 15 million Ford Model T cars,
the Henry Ford Motor Company replaced the Model T with the Model A.
This song was written in praise of the new Model A.


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Lyrics as originally published:


Have you seen her, ain't she great?
She's something you'll appreciate,
I'm sure you understand just what I mean,
Ev'rybody, everywhere, is falling for her now,
I'm talking bout the new Ford
And boy it's sure a wow!
When you see her, you'll agree,
She's just the one for you and me,
She's everything that any one could ask,
Sittin' pretty, yes I am,
With her I'm always found
You oughta see her Chassis,
It's sure the best around.

Talk of this and talk of that,
Boys you must take off your hat,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Has she plenty, has she much?
Got the tin you love to touch,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
They used to park her in a lot,
For that they charged two bits,
But now they charge you nothing,
And you park her at the Ritz.
She once had rattles in her wheel,
But now she's full of sex appeal
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!

She's like all the other vamps,
Pretty shape and lovely lamps,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Since she's taken on some weight,
Honest, folks, she's looking great,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Her dashboard has a clock
That's a hit with all the Scotch,
A Scotchman saw the clock,
And promptly stopped his watch.
You've all heard the Frenchman song,
Fifty million cant be wrong,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!

Just a girl who knows her stuff,
Plenty fast but never rough,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Always tidy, always clean,
Faithful as an old Marine,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
She's not the kind who tries to get
Your money all at once,
She only wants ten dollars down,
The rest in fourteen months,
Good for sister, nice for Ma,
Ev'rybody rides but Pa,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!

Ev'ry groom and blushing bride,
Now enjoy their buggy ride,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
No one curses, no one swears,
Lizzie never needs repairs,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
She used to kick and jump around,
On ev'ry trolley track,
But now she's very ladylike,
And never answers back.
She will surely catch your eye,
You know salesmen never lie,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!

No more chug – chug – chug – chug -bang!
No more cuss words, no more slang,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Not the noisy flapper kind,
Simply quiet and refined,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
They used to say "We own a car,
It looks like one I mean"
But now they say, "I'll have you know,
We own a Ford machine"'
No more playing Jack and Jill,
No more tumbling down the hill,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!

When she's coming down the street,
All the boys say "Ain't she sweet"?
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Every man will go for her,
She's the kind that men prefer,
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!
Why even Thomas Edison,
The wizard that he is,
Could not resist her charms,
And was the first to take out "Liz"
He said "She's Okay to me,
All she needs is company"
Henry's made a lady out of Lizzie!


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