These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "Hatful Of Hollow" album (they are incomplete in the debut album). Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.

It's time the tale were told
of how you took a child
and you made him old
it's time the tale were told
of how you took a child
and you made him old
you made him old

Reel around the fountain
slap me on the patio
I'll take it now

Fifteen minutes with you
well, I wouldn't say no
people said
that you were virtually dead
and they were so wrong!
fifteen minutes with you
I wouldn't say no
people said
that you were easily led
and they were half-right
they, they were half right

It's time the tale were told
of how you took a child
and you made him old
it's time that the tale were told
of how you took a child
and you made him old
you made him old

Reel around the fountain
slap me on the patio
I'll take it now

Fifteen minutes with you
I wouldn't say no ¹
people see no worth in you
oh but I do
fifteen minutes with you
I wouldn't say no ¹
people see no worth in you
oh but I do
I, oh I do

I dreamt about you last night
and I fell out of bed twice
you can pin and mount me
like a butterfly
but take me to the haven of your bed
was something that you never said
two lumps, please
you're the bee's knees
but so am I

Meet me at the fountain
shove me on the patio ²
I'll take it slowly

Fifteen minutes with you
oh I wouldn't say no ³
people see no worth in you
oh but I do
fifteen minutes with you
oh I wouldn't say no ⁴
people see no worth in you
I do
I, I do
Oh I do, Oh I do, Oh I do

² In a few rare live performance of this song, Morrissey sang "shag me on the patio" instead of "shove me on the patio".

³ In an early rehearsal of the song which has leaked on the internet, Morrissey sings "I could never say no".

⁴ In an early rehearsal of the song which has leaked on the internet, Morrissey sings "I just couldn't say no".

Quotes

"Obviously most people who write do borrow from other sources. They steal from other's clothes lines. I mentioned the line 'I dreamt about you last night and I fell out of bed twice' in 'Reel Around The Fountain,' which comes directly from A Taste Of Honey, and to this day I'm whipped persistently for the use of that line. I've never made any secret of the fact that at least 50 percent of my reason for writing can be blamed on Shelagh Delaney who wrote A Taste Of Honey."
- Morrissey, NME, 7 June 1986

"...loss of innocence, that until one has a physical commitment with another person, there's something childlike about the soul."
- Morrissey explains the meaning of 'Reel Around The Fountain', Rolling Stone, 1986