Tom Lehrer: Author Lyric Sheets
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Public-domain lyrics

The Mumble Song

Tom Lehrer

An ever-tongue-tied declaration of love tangles itself in a chain of mumbling rhymes.

Tom Lehrer: Author Lyric Sheets Text 21 Undated text
Public domainLearningLanguageRomanceWordplayShy
Complete public-domain lyrics

The source describes Skip Hinnant trying to express his feelings to Judy Graubart as their characters age through successive verses of an Electric Company sketch. All nineteen lines are retained, including the final exchange. The broken syllables are intentional speech sounds, not missing lyric placeholders. The author's scene description is kept in context rather than turned into another verse.

First attempt

[Skip] My hands begin to fumble.

My stomach starts to rumble.

But what really makes me grumble

Is my cookies start to crumble.

All I can do is mumble, "I... luh... yoo..."

Second attempt

My feet begin to stumble.

I'm just about to tumble.

My thoughts are all a-jumble,

And my bee forgets to bumble.

All I can do is mumble, "Luv yoommm ... "

Still trying

You make me feel so, mmm, hummmble,

That I stumble, tumble, jumble, bumble,

Fumble, rumble, grumble, crumble,

[Trying to speak, but still incoherent] "Ah lub yoom .. "

The reply

[Judy] What?

[Skip] I said, "Ah luv ... yoommm ... "

[Judy] What?

[Skip] Pay attention. I said, "I luuuvvv ... yoooo."

[Judy] Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Credits

Written by Tom Lehrer

Words by Tom Lehrer, released into the public domain by the author. This is the author-published text edition, not a transcription of a particular performance.

Source & text edition

Author-published lyric sheet · original English words

Tom Lehrer's November 26, 2022 declaration relinquishes copyright in lyrics he wrote. It does not grant rights to third-party music, photographs or album artwork. This edition uses only his words.

Read the author’s lyric sheet (PDF)

View copyright evidence · Author’s public-domain declaration

Retrieved 2026-09-08. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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