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He Tipped the Waiter Lyrics by William Bolcom

Cabaret Songs, Vol. I

1978

He tipped the waiter in the dining car
For a seat near the lady with flowing fur
And took off his glove and kissed her hand
And yet his monocle was steaming wet
O so nervous! O so grand!
Greasing that palm and kissing that hand
What baby brain pushed his button
So his gravy train would glide
Across the Elysian plain to Rome by night
I met him on a Roman night
And then again by Venice light
Among a flock of latest loves
Counting up his conquests
On grey suede gloves
Then shooed us all away like turtle doves
And then he vowed out loud
To the cooing crowd
“A guy gotta lay low!”
And gave me pause to realize
He would if he could
Seduce a halo
The great hole in the skies!
His were not lies, not merely lies
Lies were his form of merchandise
What baby brain pushed his button
So his gravy train could keep puffing
Across the plain to Rome by night
And the Venice light
O so nervous! O so grand!
Greasing that palm and kissing that hand
Credits
William Bolcom

William Bolcom

About “He Tipped the Waiter” by William Bolcom

Read the complete lyrics to "He Tipped the Waiter" by William Bolcom from the album "Cabaret Songs, Vol. I" in 1978. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"He Tipped the Waiter" is performed by William Bolcom. from the album "Cabaret Songs, Vol. I" in 1978 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "He Tipped the Waiter", explore more songs by William Bolcom using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"He Tipped the Waiter" is credited to William Bolcom. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"He Tipped the Waiter" appears on "Cabaret Songs, Vol. I" in 1978.

Visit the William Bolcom artist page at /artist/william-bolcom for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.