By a jazz club window a young boy stood one day To hear the band rehearsing the tunes that they would play While they wouldn't let him inside cuz there wasn't any room in there And when asked why he listened he said I'm just wondering where Where shall I be when that first trumpet sounds Where shall I be when it sounds so loud It sounds so loud as to wake up the dead Oh, where shall I be when it sounds Maybe I'll be swinging on down that dusty road Well I'm wondering why bring me such a big .......... oh lord Nobody seems to bother if I live or if I die But when that fan starts swinging my soul begins to fly Where shall I be when that first trumpet sounds Where shall I be when it sounds so loud It sounds so loud as to wake up the dead Oh, where shall I be when it sounds If I reach a hundred well I won't be satisfied Until I hear that trumpet swinging only by my side Well I don't know where I'm heading and the way there isn't very clear But that happy music is all I wanna hear Where shall I be when that first trumpet sounds Where shall I be when it sounds so loud It sounds so loud as to wake up the dead Oh, where shall I be when it sounds