Jonathan W. Astor

By Mason Williams

This song was sung on the Smothers Brothers TV show. They dramatized it, with Tommy playing Jonathan, first as part of a portrait hanging on the wall, then dancing at the ball. The girl with three legs was portrayed by Janet Leigh. She did a masterful three-legged dance.

They put the song on their popular album “Mom Always Liked You Best.”

Most of the song varies between 4/4 and 3/4 (waltz) time. The last verse of the song is in 5/4 time, which illustrates a two-legged person dancing with a three-legged person.

The lyrics on the 5/4 last verse of the Janet Leigh version have been modified. Mason Williams, the song’s author, did not use the Smothers Brothers’ lyric on his album. But on the Smothers’ Mom Always Liked You Best album they sing what were probably the original words:

(5/4 time)

They like the waltz, they have their faults

But who’s to blame, we can’t decide

Maybe it’s him, maybe it’s her

But it is them, that’s for darn sure.

Anyway, that is the version we sang with the ISRB. Dave Reade liked this song, and sang harmony with Joe Rubinski on it.