BLUE RIVER
(Alfred Bryan / Joseph Meyer)

Sophie Tucker - 1927
Clifornia Ramblers - 1927
Jean Goldkette & His Orch. - 1927
Frankie Trumbauer & His Orch. - 1927
Red Nichols & His Five Pennies - 1927
Al Jolson - 1928
Earl Burtnett & His Biltmore Hotel Orch. - 1928
Jack Teagarden & His Orch. - 1933

Also recorded by: Dick Sudhalter; Weiner & Doucet.


Birds in the trees
And a song on the breeze
Blue River, why are you blue

Light of the Moon
And the starlight in view
Must they bring sadness to you

Must you sing of days gone by
Must you always sigh

Tell me why your song is sad, never glad
Blue River, Blue River
Do you hold the memory
Of a vanished dream

Sing to me of lips I've pressed and caressed
Blue River, Blue River
Till I saw my hopes
Go drifting down your stream

Can we both forget the night
Summer night, in a little canoe
When her blue eyes lost their light
As we whispered "adieu"

When I hear your lonesome song
Something's wrong
Blue River, Blue River
Maybe it's because I'm just as blue as you

Tell me why your song is sad, never glad
Blue River, Blue River
Do you hold the memory
Of a vanished dream, dream, vanished dream

Sing to me of lips I've pressed and caressed
Blue River
Till I saw my hopes
Go drifting down your stream

Can we both forget the night
Summer night, in a little canoe
When her blue eyes lost their light
And we whispered "adieu", I said adieu-dieu-dieu

When I hear your lonesome song
Something's wrong
Blue River
Maybe it's because I'm just as blue as you


(Transcribed from the Al Jolson recording
by Mel Priddle - January 2006)


*** The line "Can we both forget the night, Summer night" is
sometimes sung as "Can we both forget that bright Summer night".