Every night while I'm undressin'
Sayin' my prayers and lightly confessin'
I can hear hot licks
From a set of drums upstairs

Well, it couldn't be Johnny 'cause he isn't there;
Johnny's overseas. We know not where
But, believe it or not, every night on the dot
I can hear a tenor drum say:

Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
When's that character comin' back?
When's that kid in the G.I. lid
Gonna choo-choo down the track?

Poor ol' me, I'm beat as can be
And my rim has even started to rust
Look at these sticks tryin' to tick out the licks
They're covered with an inch of dust, beep-a-dust

Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
When's that character comin' back?
When's that boy with the jumpin' joy
Gonna launch that last attack?

If he'll roll, roll, roll like a drumstick;
Chewin', chewin', chewin' on a gumstick
Jackie, we'll soon have a Japanese derby
And he’ll beat it like a cymbal on a music rack
Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
When's that character comin' back?
When's that boy with the jumpin' joy
Gonna launch that last attack?

If he'll roll, roll, roll like a drumstick;
Chewin', chewin', chewin' on a gumstick
Jackie, we'll soon have a Japanese derby
And he’ll beat it like a cymbal on a music rack

Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
Billy-a-dick, Billy-a-dick, tick, tack
When's that character comin' back, Mom?