New Humorous Verses for "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"
If you’ve been around eldercare for a while, you’ve probably heard the song “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”
Despite the fact that this song, published in 1910, is older that almost all of the clients we serve, it remains a popular choice, simply because many, many people know the melody and the words. In terms of familiarity, it’s up there with “Home on the Range” (published 1873), America the Beautiful (1895), Oh Susannah (1848), and Take Me Out To The Ballgame (1908 – relatively new!)
The great thing about old, familiar tunes is that we’ve collectively had many years to come up with new, entertaining verses. After all, those old sentimental verses belonged to another generation, and we certainly can’t take ourselves too seriously.
Check out this updated verse to our perennial classic:
Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your automobile
Let me hear you whisper that you’ll pay the gasoline bill
Keep those headlights burning and your hand on the steering wheel
Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your automobile!
Ha! We know what love is. Sometimes it’s sentimental and romantic, and sometimes it’s all about the car.
Here’s another alternate verse:
Let me call you sweetheart, I forgot your name
You can call me darling if you’ve done the same
When you lose your memory it is such a shame
Let me call you sweetheart, I forgot your name!
Now this one I really like, because it puts a lighthearted twist on not remembering someone’s name. This can be an acutely painful problem for people with dementia, especially when they are forgetting the names of those people closest to them. But in a humorous way, this verse reinforces the fact that we all forget names from time to time, which evens the playing field for people with and without memory impairments in a music-making group.
When you share these newer verses with the older adults in your life, you should still sing the original version first, since those are the words to which everyone will default. Then, introduce the new, silly verses, but don’t expect everyone (or anyone!) to know the new words. Instead, invited them to listen to you sing and enjoying getting the joke in real time.
Shout out to music therapist Abi Carlton for sharing these lyrics taught to her by a senior living resident in her area! By the way, I’ve written about this song before, discussing how song lyrics can change over time.
The version that I learned was “Let me call you, Lizzy, I’am in debt for you
Let me hear you rattle, like all good Fords do
Let me see your headlight and your tail light too.
Let me call you, Lizzy, I’am in debt for you.
I like that!
How about “Don’t you call me sweetheart I don’t love you any more
Since I caught you necking with the girl next door.
I can find another that will do me just as well
Don’t you call me sweetheart you can go to
Helena had a steamboat the steamboat had a bell
Helena pulled the wrong cord and the steamboat went to
Hello operator
Give me number nine if you can’t find the number then give me back my dime!
Ha! I love those songs that play with our expectations like that!
Hi Anna. . Do you know where this song came from. ?
I googled this song
I just, yesterday, found out that there’s a video of my mom singing this in the 1950’s. My mom would have been in her 20’s. I started googling information And it brought me to you
Would appreciate any insight
Happy Healthy New Year..
That’s the one except for the ending. “You can go to….Hello …?? Hello ??…give me 863, Hello Johnny, Hello Johnny, This is your Hon-ey, Do you love me, Say you love me, Say you love me do. You can call me sweetheart, I’m in love with you!
Just an’t remember that ?? part!
Good old camp singing…
Great! I hadn’t heard that version 🙂
My 91 year old mother sings the first version as “Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your machine. Let me hear you whisper you’ve got money for gasoline…” and continues as above. 🙂
I had never heard that version before! How fun 🙂
I heard it:
“Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your limousine.
Let me hear you whisper that your tank’s full of gasoline.
Keep your headlights burning and your arm around the wheel.
Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your automobile.”
I like that!
Thank you so much for the limousine verses! My grandmother loved silly songs and I remember her singing this when I was a child. She just passed away and I couldn’t recall the lyrics, so I’m so grateful to find them here.
I’m so glad you found them here! I hope that’s a sweet memory for you.
I’m 82 and I was just writing down songs my Grandfather taught me for my kids and this was one of them:
Let me call you sweetheart I’m in love with your machine,
Let me hear you whisper that you’ll buy the gasoline.
Keep the headlights burning and your hands upon the wheel.
Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with your automobile!
That’s great!
I entertain at senior living centers and sang the original version today. A resident came up afterwards and sang a humorous retort that I’d like the entire verse of.
“I won’t call you sweetheart, I’m not in love with you. Something … ends with Go to H—- “. Does anyone know this entire verse??? This resident was a precious lady who giggled as she sang it for me and I promised I’d find it!!! Thanks.
Let me call you sweetheart
I’m in love with your automobile
Let me hear you whisper
That you’ll let me get behind the wheel
Keep the love light burning
In your MG or XKE
Let me call you sweetheart
I’m in love with your car can’t you see!