Manhattan Transfer - TUBBY THE TUBA AT THE CIRCUS lyrics

Tubby joins the circus but ends up as a water carrier for the elephants. He really wants to become a star under the big top bu walking the tightrope. However, Tubby takes an embarrassing fall. A kindly old elephant helps him to see that music is Tubby's special talent.

Tubby (Tim Hauser)

When the buds begin to pop

And the robin takes a hop

Everybody says, "It's spring today!"

I suppose that may be so,

But I'd like for you to know

I can always tell it's spring another way/

I can always tell it's spring

When the circus comes to town;

It makes me want to sing

When I bump into a clown!

When the circus marches past

And the band goes tan-ta-ra

I know it's spring at last,

And my heart goes, "OOM-PAH!"

Tubby's Idea (Cheryl Bentyne)

Alley-oop, OOM-PAH,

Alley-oop, OOM-PAH,

An acrobat you ought to be,

Alley-oop, OOM-PAH,

Alley-oop, OOM-PAH,

Hey Tubby! You'd be a sight to see!

Elephant (Alan Paul)

Be yourself, you can't be anybody else,

Be yourself is my advice to you,

Or else you'll always be a nobody,

So be yourself, or else.

A hippopotamus

Would look very curious

Flying like a butterfly;

A fierce and hungry lion

Would look silly tryin'

To bake an apple pie.

I think you'd get a laugh

If you saw a tall giraffe

Swinging by his tail from a tree;

I think an octopus

Would look quite ridiculous

Knitting sweaters at the bottom of the sea.

So be yourself, and do the things that you know best,

Be yourself, I think that you'd be happiest

By being no one else but you