[Verse 1: Crooner baritone male lead, rich and easy over hammering grand piano and punchy live drums] Thirty-one years in a tux at the lodge hall ring Every second Friday, every fighter, every swing Doctor found a polyp and the knife is Monday morning I might wake up with no voice at all, he gave me fair warning So tonight's my last card and the hall is packed tight Folding chairs, cigar smoke, a fan and a light Ten bouts, ten winners, and I called them all Then I kept the microphone when the ref left the hall [Pre-Chorus: Crooner baritone male lead] Hold up, folks, don't head for the door I got one more card, and it's the one I'm here for [Chorus: Crooner baritone male lead] In this corner, and in that one too Every soul in the building, I'm announcing you Weighing in at a lifetime and you never got a belt Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for yourselves [Verse 2: Crooner baritone male lead, the grand piano hammering harder] Introducing in the blue towel, the cut man, Lou Forty years of closing eyebrows with a swab and some glue Introducing on the round cards, Darlene in her sneakers Thirty years of holding numbers up in front of the speakers Introducing in the stripes, the ref who never took a dime And the timekeeper, Herbie, who was never once off time And the ticket lady, Marge, with the cash box and the cough Who let every kid in anyway when the money ran off [Chorus: Crooner baritone male lead] In this corner, and in that one too Every soul in the building, I'm announcing you Weighing in at a lifetime and you never got a belt Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for yourselves [Bridge: Crooner baritone male lead, ring intro, he announces the janitor like a heavyweight title holder over one long drum roll] And in the main event, from the boiler room downstairs Weighing in at forty years of mopping up the chairs The undisputed, undefeated keeper of the floor Ray Delgado, ladies and gentlemen, let me hear you roar [Verse 3: Crooner baritone male lead, full band, warm and huge] And the whole hall stands, and Ray is crying on his mop So I hand him the mic like a belt and he can't stop If I wake up Monday and the voice is gone for good I said every name that mattered, like a ring man should [Final Chorus: Crooner baritone male lead] In this corner, and in that one too Every soul in the building, I'm announcing you Weighing in at a lifetime and you never got a belt Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for yourselves [End]
