Strike Up the Band - If I Became President Lyrics

1930 Broadway
Strike Up the Band the Musical - If I Became President Lyrics

The song is written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.

If I made you the ruler
Of this great democracy,
Then I'd make you First Lady,
Which is reciprocity.
Imagine how delightful life
Will be when we're on top!
Just think, no matter where we'd go
Theyd make the traffic stop!
We'd beat King Solomon in all his glory.
Oh, everything would be just hunky-dory.

If I became the President
And I were the President's wife,
We'd shake the hand of everyone we'd see.
We could receive ambassadors,
The kind the upper class adores
And have the whole Supreme Court down for tea.

I'll talk on trade conditions.
We'll open expositions.
And proudly march behind the drum and fife.
Oh, it thrills me just to tell of it!
We both would be on velavit,
If I became the President
And I were the President's wife.

Dear, any time that we'd need money
We'd call up the Mint.
I'd tell them that I must try out
The samples that they print.
Would you cut down your drinking,
When you're with the Ship of State?
I'd cut down on the water
And I'd take my whiskey straight.
You mustn't chase around when you're the Prexy.
It's not my fault if women think I'm sexy

If I became the President
And I were the President's wife,
You'd flood the Senate with your orat'ry
I'd make each politish-i-on
Prohibit Prohibish-i-on
A hundred million drinkers would be free.
I'd grow a beard, I'm thinkin'
You'd be as great as Lincoln
And Mister Hearst would surely print your life.
But I'd never go so far afield
As Tyler, Polk or Gar-a-field.
If I became the President
And I were the President's wife.

If Zanzibar grew tricky,
Or Russia Bolsheviki,
There'd be no braver man in all the strife.
But I won't become your pappy till
You get me in the cap-i-till,
And I become the President,
And I am the President's wife.

Strike Up the Band the Musical Lyrics

SYNOPSIS
Fletcher's American Chocolate Choral Society
Soon
If I Became President
Strike Up the Band
Mademoiselle from New Rochelle
I've Got a Crush on You