Written by: Al Dubin, Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain
Lyrics:
If You Can't Tell The World She's A Good Little Girl [Version (a)]:
People who gossip are people who lie
So try to keep out of their way
Many a girl saw her happiness die
'Cause someone had too much to say
If you can't tell the world
She's a good little girl
Then just say nothing at all
Who cares what she once used to be?
As long as she's sorry and needs sympathy
So don't give away what you know of her life
Someday she may make a wonderful wife
If you can't tell the world
She's a good little girl
Then just say nothing at all
Homes have been broken and hearts filled with pain
By stories that shouldn't be told
Dreams have been dreamed and then shattered in vain
Before a new scandal grows old
People who gossip are people who lie
So try to keep out of their way
Many a girl saw her happiness die
'Cause someone had too much to say
If you can't tell the world
She's a good little girl
Then just say nothing at all
Who cares what she once used to be?
As long as she's sorry and needs sympathy
So don't give away what you know of her life
Someday she may make a wonderful wife
If you can't tell the world
She's a good little girl
Then just say nothing at all
Homes have been broken and hearts filled with pain
By stories that shouldn't be told
Dreams have been dreamed and then shattered in vain
Before a new scandal grows old
The Song:
In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, and even fictional album collections and made-up song titles. "If You Can't Tell The World She's A Good Little Girl" is listed as part of The Manly Family Song Album, and is copyrighted.
Many of the titles on the back of "Saint Dude" are references to older sheet music/songs, and "If You Can't Tell The World She's A Good Little Girl Just Say Nothing At All" is one of the more famous/popular references Song Reader makes. It was written in 1926 and first popularized by Annette Hanshaw, one of the earliest female jazz singers of the day.
In order for it to feel more authentic, Beck filled out his Song Reader book with fragments of songs and melodies, and even fictional album collections and made-up song titles. "If You Can't Tell The World She's A Good Little Girl" is listed as part of The Manly Family Song Album, and is copyrighted.
Many of the titles on the back of "Saint Dude" are references to older sheet music/songs, and "If You Can't Tell The World She's A Good Little Girl Just Say Nothing At All" is one of the more famous/popular references Song Reader makes. It was written in 1926 and first popularized by Annette Hanshaw, one of the earliest female jazz singers of the day.