The Joke Songtext
von Randy Newman

Now, the name of this album, this proposed
Album, is "Johnny Cutler′s Birthday"
This is his—we go to his birthday party
There's some kind of master of ceremonies up there
I′ve written some of this, but I'm not too embarrassed to do it
And he—I'm thinking very—you know
I seriously doubt I′m going to have him do this
He′s going to announce it, he's going to tell them
This joke he heard from this traveling salesman
It′s a Schroeder song
I seriously doubt it, but I'm going to put it down anyway Then there′s another guy come up, and I do want
Him to do this song that he's going to do, I think
It′ll be smooth, don't worry
And here he is
So he tells this, he says, "I'm going to tell
You this joke about two dogs and a rabbit"
And they go, "Oh," you know, a big group of
People that are drunk and yelling and stuff
Groaning at his gonna tell them a joke
Get it?
So, he goes

A rabbit being chased by a big black dog
Through the early morning fog
Over the meadow and past the bog
They were running

Rabbit had jumped a fence or two
That′s what rabbits like to do
Big black dog had to jump ′em, too
They was running


Now this black dog had a brother
Except he was white as snow
One looked like the other
At least that's how the story go

So the black dog′s chasing the rabbit down the road
And he's seein′ familiar face he know
He says, "Hey there, white dog, what you say?
Take over chasing this rabbit
Or I think he'll get away
Take over chasing this rabbit
Or there′ll be no rabbit stew today for us"

And hear what the white dog say
He say, "That rabbit smiled as he went by
You know he got you beat, that's why
You wait here and I'll chase awhile
′Cause I hate to see a rabbit smile"

So off he go
Off the white dog go
Now when that little rabbit look around
He jumped four feet off the ground
He said, "That big ol′ dog that's chasing me
Why, he′s taking off his jacket and he's running free
He′s taking off his jacket and he's catching me"

Now there′s a moral to this story
(What a fucking horrible joke)
For crazy rabbits with dreams of glory
Any rabbit think a dog wear a jacket
Should get out of the rabbit racket
One dog's brother is another dog's child
And no one like to see a rabbit smile

They′re moaning and groaning