You must be good,
So that you can sleep at night.
You must be good,
So that your mamma can hold you tight.
And you can't be bad, can't be bad,
Or the devil come lick you.
You must be good, you must be good,
Don't let him trick you.

Oh, every day, tempted by temptation.
And every night by another situation.
But you must be wise, be wise, be wise and recognize,
Or the devil come, pull you down in a girlish disguise.

You must be good,
So that you can sleep at night.
You must be good,
So that your mamma can hold you tight.
And you can't be bad, can't be bad,
Or the devil come lick you.
You must be good, you must be good,
Don't let him trick you.

Avarice and envy, lord these sins are deadly.
Greed and vanity, they hurt a good man plenty.
But you must take care and beware in your youthful insobriety.
Your cup may be full now, but in the end it will be empty.

You must be good,
So that you can sleep at night.
You must be good,
So that your mamma can hold you tight.
And you can't be bad, can't be bad,
Or the devil come lick you.
You must be good, you must be good,
Don't let him trick you.