POOR BUTTERFLY
(Raymond Hubbell (m) / John Golden (l) 1916)

This version as sung by Deanna Durbin (studio recording Oct 9th 1941)

This song was inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly
Introduced in the Broadway show 'The Big' Show' August 1916

Also sung by:
Frank Sinatra 1967
Tony Bennett
Jerry Vale
Sarah Vaughan
Judy Garland
Julie Andrews 1967
Ernestine Anderson
Pat Suzuki 1957
Carmen McRae
Dodie Stevens 1959
Susannah McCorkle 1985
Florence Wright 1950
And many others…



Poor butterfly
'Neath the blossoms waiting
Poor butterfly
For she loved him so.

The moments pass into hours
The hours pass into years
And as she smiles through her tears
She murmurs low.

The moon and I know that he'll be faithful
And that he'll come to me by and by
But if he won't come back then I'll never sigh or cry
I just will die
Poor butterfly.

One fine day in cherry blossom time
Little butterfly lost her heart
As he whispered, will you be mine.

Then he taught her to love the American way
But he sailed alone promising to return some day.

The moon and I know that he'll be faithful
And that he'll come to me by and by
But if he won't come back then I'll never sigh or cry
I just will die
Poor butterfly.




NOTE:

This song may have an additional lead-in verses (below) or 
alternating verses (above), depending on the artist 
(i.e. Sarah Vaughan/Hal Mooney Orchestra)


There's a story told of a little Japanese
Sitting demurely 'neath the cherry blossom trees
Miss Butterfly's her name
A sweet little innocent child was she
'Till a fine young American from the sea
To her garden came.

They met 'neath the cherry blossoms every day
He taught her to love the American way
To love with her soul, 'twas easy to learn;
Then he sailed away with a promise to return.



(Transcribed by David Story - August 2013)