Go tell your mother you're steppin' out with me Say that we'll be dancing and you won't be home 'til three Go tell your father he needn't pace the floor Promise at the stroke of three, you'll tiptoe through the door I told my mother and I told my father and They say (yes, what do they say?) Ma says, pa says we must keep on dancin' Ma says, pa says we must keep on dancin' For if we keep on dancin', a-we won't start romancin' But if we start romancin', a-we won't keep on dancin' Well, now, go tell your mother I'm taking you out to dine Tell her this here restaurant, the cookin' is divine And then go tell your father you've got an appetite Say that you're so hungry, you could eat all through the night I told my mother and I told my father and They say (yes, what do they say?) Ma says, pa says we must keep on eating Ma says, pa says we must keep on eating For if we keep on eating, our lips can't be meeting But if our lips are meeting, we won't keep on eating Well, now, go tell your mother tonight you've got a date Say that you and I will be attending a little debate Go tell your father I'm gonna make a speech Say the lecture will be held upon a sandy beach I told my mother and I told my father and They say (yes, what do they say?) Ma says, pa says we must keep on talkin' Ma says, pa says we must keep on talkin' For if we keep on talkin', we won't go out walkin' But if we go out walkin', we won't keep on talkin' We'll date an' debate We'll meet and eat We'll walk and talk beneath the moon 'Cause ma says, pa says we can marry soon