I got up late this morning, the future had no charm I noticed my alarm clock wasn't wound The doorbell and the phone were disconnected And people I expected weren't around So I said to myself, where's the reason? Then I looked at myself and said, there's the reason A song doesn't sing by itself A bell doesn't ring by itself Ring the bell, it's a glorious sound People gather around and start to cheer And the cheers start to swell Don't hide your head in a trough Just lift up and haul off and ring the bell Dreams that dwell in the back of your eyes They'll materialize if you get up and get out of your shell You can't depend upon fate for your height or your weight to ring the bell There's a grime stone for your nose There's a treetop for your toes Don't stay home and decompose Just get out, get going where a go-getter goes Who can tell if you've missed a few meals? If you're down at the heels, put on a well-to-do smile, you'll do well When it's a crime to get up, that's the time to get up and ring the bell And it's like I always say Don't do anything halfway There's a time for work and play Don't put off for tomorrow what you could do today Ring the bell, be the earliest bird Why, it's simply absurd how much a wide-awake look can compel When it's a crime to get up, that's the time to get up You've got to climb to get up and ring and ring the bell