Now we all know the violin plays sweetly And the steel guitar thrills all the world completely But for all around good fun there's really only one And it's round and firm and fully packed and puts the blues on the run And you just can't play a sad song on the banjo A banjo tune will have to make you smile And when you're feeling low and melancholy just pick up the ol' banjo by golly Cause you just can't play a sad song on the banjo Now bad news just won't hang around the banjo Old dismal gloom will have to disappear A sad song can't be played so please don't be afraid Cause you just can't play a sad song on the banjo