—Leroy Carr*
Circus came to town, to the circus I went
Didn't have a ticket, didn't have a cent
Circus man said to see the show without a cent
You got to carry water for the elephant
Instrumental
I carried water for the elephant
Back and forth to the well I went
Arms got sore and my back got bent
But I couldn't fill up the elephant
Instrumental
I said to the man in the standin' up collar
I bet four bits that elephant's a hollow
He gave me a ticket, said first you'll see
The animals in the menagerie.
Vamp:
First I saw the lion and the lion he roared: "A-Rrrrrrr"
Saw the wild duck and the wild duck quacked: "Quack, quack quack"
Saw the wild cat and the wild cat meowed: "Meow-ow"
Saw the old crow and the old crow cawed: "Caw caw caw"
Saw Mr. Possum sittin' on a limb
Big black bear sittin' next to him
Saw the old monkey like in a zoo,
and the wild rooster says cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo.
Instrumental
Saw the hippopotamus splash in the water
Tryin' to flirt with the crocodile's daughter
Saw the giraffe and the big kangaroo
Saw an owl holler, hoo hoo hoo"
Vamp:
Saw the wild birds and the birds sang sweet: "Tweet tweet tweet"
Saw the wild dogs and the wild dogs barked: "Arf arf arf"
Saw the cuckoo and the cuckoo cooed: "Cuckoo cuckoo"
Saw the hyena and the hyena laughed: "Ha ha ha"
I went down to the circus tent
Sure am doggone glad I went
Saw the whole show and didn't cost a cent
'Cause I carried water for the elephant
Instrumental
Verse:
| I | I | I | I |
| I | I | V | V – I |
Instrumental:
| I | I | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | V | I | I |