Lyr Req: Dardanella

Subject: Dardanella-Lyrics???
From: Kitdiva
Date: 01 Jun 97 - 12:39 AM

Hi out there! Does anyone have the lyrics to this tune that I originally heard on an old LP of Jeff Muldauer's jug band??? I searched the database to no avail - even with alternate spellings (don't know if I have the correct spelling). Thanks for the help....

Subject: Lyr Add: DARDANELLA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Apr 06 - 01:39 AM

Lots of bands have recorded this as an instrumental. The Red Hot Jazz Archive has complete sound files for these: Bal Tabarin Jazz Orchestra, 1919; Ben Selvin and His Orchestra, 1919; Paul Biese and His Novelty Orchestra, 1919; Plantation Jazz Orchestra, 1919; Columbia Saxophone Sextette, 1920; Raderman's Jazz Orchestra, 1920; Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 1928, 1939, and 1959; Red Nichols and His Orchestra, 1934; Vic Berton and His Orchestra, 1935; Adrian Rollini Trio, 1939.

The only recording at that site that includes singing is by Irving Mills' Hotsy-Totsy Gang, 1928—and that has only the chorus.

I transcribed these lyrics from the sheet music at Indiana University Sheet Music Collections:

DARDANELLA
Words, Fred Fisher. Music, Felix Bernard & Johnny S. Black, 1919.

1. 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.

CHORUS: 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.

2. When the Turkish sultan saw her eyes,
Oh, he was taken by surprise.
He said, "I'll buy her for my harem."
I just told the sultan to be nice.
She can't be brought for any price.
She said to me she couldn't bear him.
So beneath the oriental moon,
I'll be wooing my love real soon.