I’ve Been to Harlem (Turn the Glasses Over)

Lyrics

(Folk song)

I’ve been to Harlem, I’ve been to Dover,
I’ve traveled this wide world all over.
Over, over, three times over,
Drink all you have to drink and turn the glasses over.
Sailing east, sailing west,
Sailing o’er the ocean.
Better watch out when the boat begins to rock,
Or you’ll lose your girl in the ocean.

See also

YouTube

or purchase here (printables only)

  • PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the song

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7 thoughts on “I’ve Been to Harlem (Turn the Glasses Over)”

  1. When I was in elementary school, instead of “drink all you have to drink, turn the glasses over” we were taught: “find me another ship, when this trip is over”. So, were these lyrics sanitized for out protection or what?? I still kinda like them.

    1. There are multiple versions of many of these songs since they were often passed down from generation to generation, and people would add their own lyrics in different situations. Thanks for sharing your version!

  2. When I used to teach this song at summer camp in the 1980s, we sang, “Drink all the apple juice and turn the glasses over,” but I think (I could be wrong) the original lyrics I found in Alan Lomax’s Playparty Songs book was “Drink all the whiskey.”

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