See the lady Smiles as if to tell Her son remembers everyone Treats 'em all quite well He never asked for promises And now his fame is wide And everyone who knew him well shares a little pride Chorus: Ain't he a genius The boy's become a star And he smiles upon the faces Who wish they could go far Not long ago they criticized The genius only wrote And now they listen spellbound With lumps caught in their throats His virtue was sheer poverty His vice was reading plays While other children starved and fought He learned just what to say Through tension and confession He beat the monster down Then surfaced in society no longer underground Chorus Now they remember Talk only of his good While jealousy flows in their veins And says I wish I could Ain't he a genius