Plenty Of Room
by John Forster & Tom Chapin
© 1988 Limousine Music Co. & The Last Music Co. (ASCAP)

I used to live in a telephone booth,
A telephone booth and that’s the truth.
Sister Sue came by one day and said,
“Come out and play!”
I said, “No, come in, Sue,
And bring your jump rope, too!”
There’s plenty of room for jumping rope
With me and Sister Sue.
Plenty of room for everyone
Plenty of room for you.

Well, we jumped rope until two o’clock.
At two o’clock we heard a knock.
It was Bruno with a deck of cards,
Holding both his St. Bernards,
“I’ve come to play a game of gin. Come out!”
“No, you come in!”
There’s plenty of room for playing cards
Plenty of room for St. Bernards
Plenty of room for jumping rope
With me and Sister Sue.
Plenty of room for everyone
Plenty of room for you.

We barely played three hands or four
When at the door we heard a roar.
The County Choir stretched before us,
Singing the Hallelujah Chorus.
One hundred voices booming out, “Hallelujah.”
“Well, come on in!” I shout.

There’s plenty of room for singing Bach,
“This old booth’s gonna reel and rock.”
Plenty of room for playing cards
Plenty of room for St. Bernards
Plenty of room for jumping rope
With me and Sister Sue.
Plenty of room for everyone
Plenty of room for you.

We were singing and swaying arm in arm
When Bruno pulled the fire alarm.
“Uh oh.”
Three trucks looking for a fire
Drove right in among the choir.
Two hook and ladders and a pumper
Jammed in bumper to bumper.
Plenty of room to run your hose,
“Ladder ready? Up she goes!”
Plenty of room for singing Bach,
“This old booth’s gonna reel and rock.”
Plenty of room for playing cards
Plenty of room for St. Bernards
And plenty of room for jumping rope
With me and Sister Sue.
Plenty of room for everyone
Plenty of room for you.

Then out of a telephone company van
Stepped a telephone company man.
He grabbed his tools, rolled up his sleeve.
“I’ve come to fix the phone.
Everyone will have to leave,
I gotta hear the dial tone.”
Back those trucks out, roll that hose.
“Step back, choir, watch your toes!”
Stack your music in a pile.
“Follow out in single file.”
Bruno, put away the cards.
“Well help me catch my St. Bernards.”

Let’s find someplace else to play;
A treehouse would be great.
A closet or a thicket or a refrigerator crate.
’Cause all of them have plenty of room
For me and Sister Sue.
Plenty of room for everyone;
Plenty of room for you.

And if you’re in the neighborhood
With nothing much to do,
Well don’t be shy, just drop on by.
There’s plenty of room,
Plenty of room, plenty of room for you.


This song appears on Tom Chapin's Family Tree CD.

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