Lyrics W.P.A. - Louis Armstrong

W.P.A.

Louis Armstrong:
Now wake up boys, get out on the rock
It ain’t daybreak, but it’s 4 O’clock
Harry (?) Mills:
Oh, no, no, no, Pops, you know that ain’t the play
Louis Armstrong:
What you talkin' 'bout, it’s the W.P.A
The W.P.A
The W.P.A
Sleep while you work, while you rest, while you play
Lean on your shovel to pass the time away
T’ain’t what you do, you can die for your pay
The W.P.A
The W.P.A
The W.P.A
Now don’t be a fool working hard is passé
You’ll stand from five to six hours a day
Sit down and choke while you smoke, it’s OK
The W.P.A
I’m so tired, I don’t know what to do
Can’t get fired, so I’ll take my rest until my work
Is through
The W.P.A
The W.P.A
Don’t mind the boss if he’s cross when you’re gay
He’ll get a pink slip next month anyway
Three little letters than make life OK
The W.P.A
Skeets Tolbert & His Gentlemen Of Swing’s version (Decca, 1941) doesn’t have
the spoken intro and has this as a last stanza:
The W.P.A
The W.P.A
Don’t mind the boss if he’s cross when you’re gay
You’ll get a pink slip next week anyway
Nobody peeks if you loaf every day
The W.P.A
The second time through, Tolbert repeats the first stanza in place of the last
one