A laughing baby boy one evening in his play He disturbed the household with his noisy glee Well I warned him to keep quiet but he soon would disobey For he would soon forget a word from me Then I called him to my side and said son you must go to bed For your conduct has been very very rude With quivering lips and tear filled eyes he pleaded then with me Don't make me go to bed papa and I'll be good (Don't papa and I'll be good don't papa and I'll be good) That's what I heard him say and it haunts me night and day Don't make me go to bed papa and I'll be good Our lives have just been gladdened by his bright ascending beam
Our boy now in our hearts was very dear Well I hastened to his bed and found him talking in his sleep He didn't seem to know that we were near So I took him in my arms and found his body raked with pain To ease his pain we did the best we could It broke my heart to hear him cryin' so loudly in his sleep Don't make me go to bed papa and I'll be good (Don't papa and I'll be good... All night and day we watched and prayed and we never left his side To give him up it seemed we never could It broke my heart to hear him saying just before he died Don't make me go to bed papa and I'll be good (Don't papa and I'll be good...