LILY OF LAGUNA, THE
(Leslie Stuart - 1898)
Eugene Stratton - 1911
Jack Hylton & His Orch. - 1929
G.H. Elliott - 1930
Jimmy Carlton - 1930
Harry Roy & His Mayfair Hotel Orch. - 1934
G.H. Elliott (feat. in the film "Those Were The Days") - 1934
Dudley Rolph (feat. in the film "Lily Of Laguna") - 1938
Tom E. Finglass (feat. in the film "You Will Remember") - 1940
Bing Crosby & Mary Martin - 1941
Errol Flynn (feat. in the film "Lilacs In The Spring") - 1954
Frank Weir, His Chorus & Orch. - 1955
Alan Ainsworth & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1958
Stanley Black, His Piano & Orch. - 1958
The Adams Singers - 1959
Stanley Holloway - 1960
The Chipmunks - 1960
Victor Silvester & His Orch. (vocal: Rita Williams Singers) - 1960
Jimmy Shand - 1961
Tessie O'Shea - 1964
Kim Cordell - 1964
Black & White Minstrels - 1971
Sonya Hedenbratt - 1971 (Swedish title "En Liten Visselsang")
Martin Crosbie - 1975
The Mike Stewart Singers - 1976
John Inman - 1978
Also recorded by:
Whispering Jack Smith; Foster Richardson; Kit Keen; Charlie Kunx;
Ray McVay; Russ Conway; Winifred Atwell; The Geoff Love Banjos;
Les Baxter; Mrs. Mills; Dick James; Danny La Rue; Reginald Dixon;
Billy Cotton & His Band; Billy Desmond ......... and others.
ORIGINAL LYRICS:
It's de same old tale of a palpatatin' niggar
Ev'ry time, ev'ry time
It's de same old trouble of a coon
Dat wants to be married very soon
It's de same old heart dat is longing for it's lady
Ev'ry time, yes, ev'ry time
But not de same gal, not de same gal
She is ma Lily, ma Lily, ma Lily gal
She goes ev'ry sundown, yes, ev'ry sundown
Callin' in de cattle up de mountain
I go 'kase she wants me, yes, 'kase she wants me
Help her do de callin' and de countin'
She plays her music
To call de lone lambs dat roam above
But I'm de black sheep and I'm waitin'
For de signal of ma little lady love.
She's my lady love
She is my dove, my baby love
She's no gal for sitting down to dream
She's the only queen Laguna knows
I know she likes me
I know she likes me, becase she says so
She is ma Lily of Laguna
She is ma Lily and ma rose
When I first met Lil it was down at old Laguna
At de dance, de oder night
So she says: "Say, ah'm curious for to know
When ye leave here de way yer goin' to go
'Kase a wants to see who de lady is dat claims ye
All way home, way home tonight"
I says, "I've no gal, never had one"
And den ma Lily, ma Lily, ma Lily gal
She says, "Kern't believe ye, ah kern't believe ye
Else I'd like to have ye shaperoon me
Dad says he'll escorcht me, says he'll escorcht me
But it's mighty easy for to lose him
Since then each sundown
I wander down here and roam around
Until I know ma little lady wants me
Till I hear de music ob de signal sound
She's my lady love
She is my dove, my baby love
She's no gal for sitting down to dream
She's the only queen Laguna knows
I know she likes me
I know she likes me, becase she says so
She is ma Lily of Laguna
She is ma Lily and ma rose
She is ma Lily of Laguna
She is ma Lily and ma rose
*******************
As re-written by Ted Fio Rito and Paul Francis Webster,
and recorded by BING CROSBY and MARY MARTIN:
BING: There used to be a gal named Lily
MARY: Lily from Laguna
BING: She met a sailor boy named Willie
MARY: And they sailed away on a schooner (BING: To catch a tuna)
BING: Now, all night long and most of the day
MARY: You can hear a lucky little laddie say
BING:
Oh, she's my lady love
My only queen, my lady dove
When I bring a ring around to Rose
It's a secret all Laguna knows
I know she loves me, I know she loves me (MARY: How d'ya know?)
Because she said so (MARY: Hmm)
She is my Lily of Laguna
My only Lily and my rose
MARY:
By the trolley stop
That's where I meet my lollipop
When he tips his little sailor hat
I can feel my heart go pitty-pat
I know he loves me, I know he loves me (BING: How d'you know?)
Because he said so (BING: Did I say that?)
And everybody in Laguna (BING: I talk too much!)
Knows I'm his Lily and his rose
(Instrumental Break)
BING: You're my chickadee
MARY: Your dicky-bird
BING: My bumblebee
MARY: Oh, what fun, beneath the silver birch
BING: Stealing kisses on the old back perch
MARY: I know he loves me
BING: I know she loves me (How d'ya know?)
MARY: Well, didn't I say so
BING: You are my Lily of Laguna
BOTH: My only Lily and my rose
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - February 2017)
