From the recordings Another Season's Promise and Roly Poly - Another Season's Promise
"Roly Poly" is a humorous Western swing standard written by Fred Rose in 1946. In the song, Roly Poly is a very active boy who eats continuously to keep his strength up. Each verse ends with:
Roly Poly, daddy's little fatty,
Bet he's gonna be a man someday.
"Roly Poly" was first recorded by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys in 1946, staying on the charts for 18 weeks and reaching number three. It has been recorded by many Western swing bands since.
Lyrics
ROLY POLY, eatin' corn 'n' 'taters
Hungry ev'ry minute of the day.
ROLY POLY, gnawin' on a biscuit
Long as he can chew it, it's OK.
Chorus: He can eat an apple pie
An' never even bat an eye
He likes everything from soup to hay
ROLY POLY, daddy's little fatty
Bet he's gonna be a man someday.
ROLY POLY, scrambled eggs for breakfast
Bread n' jelly twenty times a day
ROLY POLY eats a hardy dinner
It takes lots of strength to run and play.
Pulls up weeds and does the chores
And he runs both ways to all the stores
He works up an appetite that way
ROLY POLY, daddy's little fatty
Bet he's gonna be a man someday.