ELLEN JONES
This is sung to the tune of the song “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo.” You know the one: “A song of love is a sad song / Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo / A song of love is a song of woe / Don’t ask me how I know. . . .”) It was published in 1952 and has been recorded by dozens of artists. The music was written by Bronislau Kaper, the original lyrics by Helen Deutsch. Click here if you want to follow along with the music.
O ELLEN HI HO
She started out as a lawyer
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
TM began to employ her
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
So now we all can enjoy her
It only goes to show:
[CHORUS]
No tellin’ what Ellen will rise to do
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
We’re swellin’, dear Ellen, with love for you
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho . . . hi ho
No one could overtake her
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
She’s our leading matchmaker
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
Maureen and Bob couldn’t shake her
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
After the Wynne’s marriage whirl
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
She asked, “Who’s the next boy and girl?”
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
The answer came: self-referral
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
Ellen got married to Christopher
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
He gets especially blissed of her
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
Now his family’s glad to consist of her
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
They’ve done so many things by themselves
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
They’ve even learned how to fly themselves
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
We’ve seen how they multiply themselves
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
Jeremy came, and then Benjamin
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
And there Ellen was with a bunch of men
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
Each day she feeds them all lunch again
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
She went to work out at Telegroup
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
She had so much she could tell the group
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
But she came back home to her mellow troop —
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
Now she’s the new Dean of Student Affairs
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
Hoping there’s nothing but prudent affairs
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
Now she’s the one to include in your prayers
It only goes to show:
CHORUS
No tellin’ what Ellen will rise to do
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho
We’re swellin’, dear Ellen, with love for you
O Ellen, O Ellen, hi ho . . . hi ho . . . hi . . . HI HO
December 9, 1999