We met one summer evening
As the sun was going down
She was lying on the beach
In her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
(I could tell she knew her way around)
And as I lay down beside her
You know she never made a sound
On down the beach came the beach-cleaning man
Scoopin' up the papers and flattening down the sand

Have you seen my baby
On the avenue?
You know she's driving me crazy
With the funny things she do
I seen her with the milkman
Ridin' down the street
When you're through with my baby, milkman
Send her home to me
Hold on, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on
You know it's been so long
Since she have been gone
Hold on, hold on, hold on
I seen her with the gipsies

Creole ladies walk along with rhythm in their thighs
Rhythm in their feet and in their lips and in their eyes,
Where do highbrows find the kind of love that satisfies?
Underneath the Harlem moon!

There's no fields of cotton; picking cotton is taboo;
They don't live in cabins like the old folks used to do.
Their cabin is a penthouse up on Lennox Avenue,
Underneath that Harlem moon!

Goin' down to the corner
Gonna have myself a drink
Goin' down to the corner
Gonna have myself a drink
'Cause that shit that we been usin'
Sure confuse my thinking
Gonna send out to the drugstore
Buy myself a goat
Tie him up in my front yard
For all my so-called friends to see
Ain't nobody gonna look in window and laugh at me
I been up so long
That it looks like down to me

There ain't no moon
There ain't no stars
Have to close up soon
'Cause there ain't no cars
Got no radio
Got no telephone
I'm just awful bored
And I'm so alone
Baby, please come to the station
And I'll wipe your windshield clean
If you need oil, I'll give you oil
And I'll fill your tank with gasoline
Baby, please come to the station
You know I get so lonely there

Rosemary, won't you come out tonight?
The moon is shining and the stars are bright
If you stay inside, how can I love you, dear
When you're up there and I'm down here?
Come on down, we'll take a walk in the park
I know a place there where it's good and dark
I'll hold yours, baby, and you'll hold mine
I'm thinking about you all the time
Hear that wind blow
'Gainst your window

Very far away in a foreign land
Live the yellow woman and the yellow man
He's been around for many-a-year
They say they were there before we were here
Eatin' rice all day
While the children play
You see he believes
In the family
Just like you and me
Oh, yellow man, oh, yellow man
We understand, you know we understand
He keeps his money tight in his hand

I saw your name, baby
In a telephone booth
And it told all about you, mama
Boy, I hope it was the truth
I took down your number
Looked up your address, Sue
And I was hopin' that maybe
You could love me, too
I'm gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
I'm gonna wait in the shadows
For you to come by
And then I'll jump from the shadows
And try and catch your eye

Let's burn down the cornfield
Let's burn down the cornfield
And we can listen to it burn
You hide behind the oak tree
You hide behind the oak tree
Stay out of danger 'till I return
Oh, it's so good
On a cold night
To have a fire
Burnin' warm and bright
You hide behind the oak tree
You hide behind the oak tree
Stay out of danger 'till I return

Turpentine and dandelion wine
I've turned the corner and I'm doin' fine
Shootin' at the birds on the telephone line
Pickin' em off with this gun of mine
I got a fire in my belly
And a fire in my head
Goin' higher and higher
Until I'm dead
Sister Sue, she's short and stout
She didn't grow up - she grew out
Mama says she's plain but she's just bein' kind

Don't send me no young girl to love me
With their eyes shinin' bright
All the young girls are afraid of me
Send me a woman tonight
Don't send me no hand-holdin' baby
'Cause I been with babies before
Don't send me nobody that's crazy
Don't send me no young girls no more
I was entertaining a little girl in my rooms, Lord
With California wines and French parfumes, Lord