DARDANELLA
(Lyrics: Fred Fisher / Music: Johnny S. Black & Felix Bernard)
Alice Delysia - 1919
Henry Burr & Albert Campbell - 1920
Vernon Dalhart & Gladys Rice - 1920
Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong - 1960
Kai Warner Singers - 1967
Geoff & Maria Muldaur - 1972
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDINGS:
Biese's Novelty Orch. - 1919
Plantation Jazz Orch. - 1919
Ben Selvin's Novelty Orch. - 1920
Prince's Orch. - 1920
Harry Raderman's Jazz Orch. - 1920
Sandford's Famous Dance Orch. - 1920
Regal Dance Orch. - 1920
Paul Whiteman & His Orch. - 1928
Louis Katzman & The Brunswick Orch. - 1929
Billy Cotton & His Band - 1933
Pancho & His Orch. - 1940
Alvino Rey & His Orch. - 1946
Herbie Fields Quintet - 1947
Vaughn Monroe & His Orch. - 1947
Les Brown & His Orch. - 1948
Art Tatum - 1949
Art Lowry, His Piano & Orch. - 1952
Jackie Lee & His Orch. - 1955
The Raiders - 1961
Ray Price Quartet - 1962
Also recorded by:
Warren Covington; Hank Thompson; Kenny Ball; Ben Pollack;
Glen Gray & Casa Loma Orch.; Rubin Mitchell; Phil Napoleon;
Ted Brown & Co.; Svend Asmussen; Sidney Bechet; Hap-Cats;
AlexWelsh; Al Morgan; The Spotnicks; Acker Bilk; Wee Willie;
Guy Lombardo; Jerry Murad's Harmonicats .......... and others.
Down beside the Dardanella Bay
Where Oriental breezes play
There lives a lonesome maid Armenian
By the Dardanelles with glowing eyes
She looks across the seas and sighs
And weaves her love spell so sirenian
Soon I shall return to Turkestan
I will ask for her heart and hand
Oh, sweet Dardanella
I love your harem eyes
I'm a lucky fellow to capture such a prize
Oh, Allah knows my love for you
And he tells you to be true, Dardanella
Oh, hear my sigh, my Oriental
Oh, sweet Dardanella, prepare the wedding wine
There'll be one girl in my harem, when you're mine
We'll build a tent
Just like the children of the Orient
Oh, sweet Dardanella
My star of love divine
When the Sultan saw her lovely eyes
Oh, he was taken by surprise
He said I'll buy her for my harem
I just told the Sultan you'll be mine
She can't be bought at any price
She said to me, she couldn't bear him
So, beneath the Oriental moon
I'll be wooing my love real soon
Oh, sweet Dardanella
I love your harem eyes
I'm a lucky fellow to capture such a prize
Oh, Allah knows my love for you
And he tells you to be true, Dardanella
Oh, hear my sigh, my Oriental
Oh, sweet Dardanella, prepare the wedding wine
There'll be one girl in my harem, when you're mine
We'll build a tent
Just like the children of the Orient
Oh, sweet Dardanella
My star of love divine
********************
As recorded by BING CROSBY & LOUIS ARMSTRONG:
BING:
The Sheik of Araby, he wrote a note to me
He said I oughta see some femininity
LOUIS:
Down beside the Dardanella Bay
Where Oriental breezes play
There lives a lovely maid Armenian
BING:
The swellest of the belles
In all the Dardanelles
LOUIS:
By the Dardanelles with glowing eyes
She looks across the sea and sighs
To weave a spell that is sirenian
BING:
And so I had to go
To see if it were so
LOUIS:
And so we got out of Turkistan
BING:
We both picked up and went
Toward the Orient
LOUIS:
Wowie, it was a scene, like man!
(They told her)
BING: Oh, my Dardanella, I love your harem eyes
(He loves your harem eyes)
LOUIS: I'm a lucky fellow to capture such a prize
BING:
Oh, Allah knows my love for you
And he knows that I'll be true
LOUIS: But tell me Dardanella, is that veil Vyella
(She looks so dreamy in her Maidenform bra)
BOTH:
Oh, my Dardanella, oh, we'd like to stay
We have commitments booked back in the USA
BING: By MCA
BOTH:
But as we slowly sail away
We're singin' Auld Lang Syne
For the dreamy Dardanella
A star of love divine
BING:
We wrote the Sheik a note
And this is what we wrote
LOUIS:
We dug the trip the most
If you should make the coast
BING:
We'll throw a gig for you
So bring your harem, too
LOUIS:
And most especially
The one we want to see
BOTH:
Dreamy Dardanella
She of the harem eyes
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - February 2016)
