- as heard over loudspeaker -

Cheese is good for little children
For the boys and for the girls
Bread or jello, snack it twice
If it's good enough for mice
Cheese is loved by little children and seagulls

- start of song -

Couldn't keep the balloon full
In the parade
It kept leaning to the right
Dragged the ground almost all the way
They couldn't keep the balloon full
In the parade
Then it caught head wind
And girl, what a mess it made

You just can't keep time
When you see what we see
But we still keep on try'n
Though we've surely lost the key

Although that cheese looks very dry
And you wish it were a little bit colder
It's a seagull's prize as off it flies
Leaving bird crap on your shoulder

They couldn't keep the balloon full
In the parade
It kept drifting to the right
Bumped the crowd almost all the way
(Ah, sling it children)
Couldn't keep the balloon full (couldn't keep the balloon full)
In the parade (oh, in the parade)
Hadn't much to spend
Now look at the mess it made

We shouldn't stare
At the spectacle there
And should cover up our grins
They scurry about
The whole parade route
At the mercy of the wind

It's doing good to crawl
A tethered cow
Collapsing, oversized bovine
It's about a quart low
And the onlookers know it bends
The udders and more from the behind

They couldn't keep the balloon full
In the parade
Filling the folks up with fright
Snagged phonelines almost all the way
(Ah, sling it children)
Couldn't keep the balloon full (couldn't keep the balloon full)
In the parade (oh, in the parade)
Costs a lot to mend
And girl, what a mess it made

One more time!

Couldn't keep the balloon full (couldn't keep the balloon full)
In the parade (oh, in the parade)
Helium is awful light
But it's not when it gets away