There was a man like you and me
As simple as a man could ever be
And he was happy as a king
Except for one peculiar thing

He had a clock that worked all right
It worked all right, but not exactly quite
Instead of going: "tick, tock, tick"
The crazy clock went: "tock, tick, tock"

The poor old man just raved and raved
Because nobody could say
Why his silly clock behaved that hickory dickory way

But now a famous man is he
He owns a public curiosity
From far and wide, the people flock
To hear the syncopated clock

Tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock
There's a zing in the swing of that clock
Tock-a-tick, tock-a-tick
Don't you think it's a marvelous trick?

Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling
There's a zong in the bong of that ring
Ling-a-ting, ling-a-ting
Don't you think it's a wonderful thing?

The experts came to hear and see
But none of them could solve the mystery
They called Professor Einstein too
He said: "There's nothing I can do."

But soon the fickle human race
Will find another freak to take its place
And one fine day the man will hock
The poor old syncopated clock

Copyright: BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Writer(s): LEROY ANDERSON