Hello, I Must Be Going (song)

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For the Phil Collins album, see Hello, I Must Be Going! (album).

Hello, I Must Be Going is a song from the Marx Brothers 1930 film Animal Crackers, sung by Groucho just before the dialogue that preceded the song "Hooray for Captain Spaulding". Both songs, plus the dialogue between them, suggest that the Captain is something of a humbug.

Both songs are very closely associated with Groucho. A biography of Groucho was titled, Hello, I Must be Going!. He also sang the song as the opening number of his early 1970s Carnegie Hall concert. It was a poignant presentation, as he was old and frail by then.

Groucho

Hello, I must be going

I cannot stay

I came to say

I must be going

I'm glad I came

But just the same

I must be going... Ta-Ta!

Margaret Dumont in the film, Erin Fleming in Carnegie Hall concert

For my sake you must stay;

If you should go away,

You'll spoil this party I am throwing

Groucho:

I'll stay a week or two

I'll stay the summer through

But I am telling you

I must be going