Summer nights at Grandpa's—ain't they soft and still!
Just the curtains rustlin' on the window-sill,
And the wind a-blowin', warm and wet and sweet—
Smellin' like the meadows or the fields of wheat;
Just the bullfrogs pipin' in amongst the grass,
Where the water's shinin' like a lookin'-glass;
Just a dog a-barkin' somewheres up along,
So far off his yelpin' 's like a kind of song.

Summer nights at Grandpa's—hear the crickets sing,
And the water bubblin' down beside the spring;
Hear the cattle chewin' fodder in the shed,
And an owl a-hootin' high up overhead;
Hear the "way-off noises," faint and awful far—
So mixed-up a feller do'n't know what they are—
But so sort er lazy that they seem ter keep
Sayin' over 'n' over, "Sonny, go ter sleep."

Summer nights at Grandpa's—ain't it fun ter lay
In the early mornin' when it's gettin' day—
When the sun is risin' and it's fresh and cool,
And you 're feelin' happy coz there ain't no school?—
When you hear the crowin' as the rooster wakes,
And you think of breakfast and the buckwheat cakes;
Sleepin' in the city's too much fuss and noise;
Summer nights at Grandpa's are the things for boys.