Lyrics: Del Reeves. Little Highball.

LITTLE HIGHBALL
(Hank Mills)
« © '65 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »

When they gave me twenty years for a crime I didn't do
I was sure I'd lose my mind long before my time was through
All I did was sit and cry when I wasn't busting rocks
One Day I found an ant doing things a human can't
And I made his home a matchbox
Well I love that little lass cause he never tried to bite
I would find him in my cell when they locked me in each night
I thought it better have a name so he'd understand my call
I was dying for a drink here's the reason why I think
I named him little highball
For the first five years I taught him how to dance
I kept dreaming Ed Sullivan booked him solid in advance
I used to laugh till I cry for upon the prison wall
Dancing every which way up and down like Danny Kaye
Was my funny little highball
Well it took another ten teaching highball how to talk
He could even right is name dragging round a piece of chalk

I said whenever I get out Jimmy Dean is bound to call
On his television show millions everywhere will know
How I trained little highball
The remainder of my time little highball learned to sing
And he didn't miss a note imitating Jimmy Dean
Well I knew in Hollywood he'd be the biggest star of all
For his name would be in lights when Wal Dooney set his sights
On my famous little highball
But now I'm doing life for the death of Joey Brown
I have taken little highball to a bar to win some rounds
I said you see this little ant what a horrible mistake
Joey stomped on highballs life I took Joey's with a knife
While he was saying
Yeah them little a - are all over this place ha ha ha