The Schmuel Song Norbert Leo Butz

[JAMIE, spoken]
First, a story
Little Christmas story
I call it "The Story of Schmuel, Tailor of Klimovich."

[JAMIE]
Schmuel would work 'til half-past ten
At his tailor shop in Klimovich
Get up at dawn and start again
With the hems and pins and twist
Forty-one years had come and gone
At his tailor shop in Klimovich
Watching the winters soldier on
There was one thing Schmuel missed

"If I only had time," old Schmuel said
"I would build the dress that's in my head
A dress to fire
The mad desire
Of girls from here to Minsk
But I have no more hours left to sew"
Then the clock upon the wall began to glow…

And the clock said
"Na na na na, na na na
Oh Schmuel, you'll get to be happy!
Na na na na, na na na
I give you unlimited time!
Na na na na, na na na
So Schmuel, go sew and be happy!"
But Schmuel said, "No, no, it's not my lot—
I've gotta make do with the time I've got"