“When The Children Are Asleep” LYRICS

Snow:
I own a little house,
And I sail a little boat,
And the fish I ketch I sell—
And, in a manner of speakin’,
I’m doin’ very well.

I love a little girl
And she’s in love with me,
And soon she’ll be my bride
And, in a manner of speakin’,
I should be satisfied.

Carrie: [spoken]
Well, ain’t you?

Snow:
If I told you my plans, and the things I intend,
It’d make ev’ry curl on yer head stand on end!
When I make enough money outa one little boat,
I’ll put all my money in another little boat.
I’ll make twic’t as much outa two little boats,
And the fust thing you know I’ll hev four little boats!
Then eight little boats,
Then a fleet of little boats!
Then a great big fleet of great big boats!

All ketchin’ herring,
Bringing it to shore,
Sailin’ out again
And bringin’ in more,
And more, and more,
And more!

[spoken]
Carrie, I’m goin’ to get rich on sardines.
I mean we’re goin’ t’get rich—you and me.
I mean you and me—and—all of us.

[sung]
The fust year we’re married we’ll hev one little kid,
The second year we’ll go and hev another little kid,
You’ll soon be darnin’ socks fer eight little feet—

Carrie:
Are you buildin’ up to another fleet?

Snow:
We’ll build a lot more rooms,
Our dear little house’ll get bigger,
Our dear little house’ll get bigger.

Carrie:
And so will my figger!

Snow: [spoken]
Carrie, ken y’imagine how it’ll be when all the kids are upstairs in bed,
and you and me sit alone in the firelight—
me in my armchair, you on my knee—mebbe?

[sung]
When the children are asleep, we’ll sit and dream
The things that ev’ry other dad and mother dream.
When the children are asleep and lights are low,
If I still love you the way I love you today,
You’ll pardon my saying “I told you so!”

When the children are asleep, I’ll dream with you.
We’ll think: “What fun we have had!”
And be glad that it all came true.

Carrie:
When children are awake,
A-rompin’ through the rooms
Or runnin’ on the stairs,
Then, in a manner of speakin’,
The house is really theirs.

But once they close their eyes
And we are left alone
And free from all their fuss,
Then, in a manner of speakin’,
We ken be really us…

When the children are asleep
We’ll sit and dream—

Snow:
Dream all alone—

Carrie:
The things that ev’ry other dad and mother dream—

Snow:
Dreams that won’t be interrupted.
When the children are asleep and lights are low,

Carrie:
Lo and behold!
If I still love you the way I love you today,
You’ll pardon my saying, “I told you so!”

Both:
When the children are asleep,
I’ll dream with you.

Snow:
You’ll dream with me.

Carrie:
We’ll think: “What fun we hev had!”
And be glad that it all came true.

Snow:
When today is a long time ago—

Both:
You’ll still hear me say
That the best dream I know is—

Snow:
You!

Carrie:
When the children are asleep
I’ll dream with you.

***

Sheet Music Verse:
When we’ve tucked the kids
In their downy beds,
And listened to each one pray,
We’ll kiss the tops
Of their tousled heads
And tiptoe quietly away.

We’ll tiptoe into our sittin’ room,
Where we love to be by ourselves,
Where the flickrin’ glow of the firelight
Makes the books wink down from their shelves.
And there ev’ry evenin’ we’ll always be,
Me in my armchair, you on my knee.