Lyr Add: My Little Bimbo (Down on the Bamboo Isle)

Subject: Lyr Add: MY LITTLE BIMBO (DOWN ON THE BAMBOO ISLE)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 07:27 AM

This song is in the DT, but that version is incomplete. There's another version posted in the thread Req: Sing-along songs from the 20's & 30's. That version has some interesting variations, but it still doesn't quite correspond to the sheet music.

The following lyrics are mostly from the sheet music at The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music, with added bits from the following recording:

A recording made in 1920 by Billy Jones can be heard at The Virtual Gramophone. The recording includes some variations in the chorus that are not in the sheet music; these are marked with boldface.

MY LITTLE BIMBO (DOWN ON THE BAMBOO ISLE)
(Words, Grant Clark. Music, Walter Donaldson. Copyright 1920)
"Featured in William Rock's Production 'Silks and Satins' by Aileen Stanley"

1. Sailor Bill McCoy was a daring sailor boy.
His ship got wreck'd awhile on a Feejee-eejee Isle.
He led a savage life, and hunted with a knife.
He said, "I'll tell you about it. Don't tell my wife!

CHORUS: "I've got a bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle.
She's waiting there for me
Beneath a bamboo tree.
Believe me, she's got the other bimbos beat a mile.
She dances gaily, daily.
She'd be a hit with Barnum Bailey.
I'll build a bungalow on the Bamboo Isle.
'Cause when I go again, I'll stay awhile.
I've seen wrecks, plenty of wrecks,
Out on the stormy sea,
But by heck, there never was a wreck
Like the wreck she made of me;
For all she wore was a great big Zulu smile,
My little bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle.

2. William's boss said, "Bill, a captain's job you'll fill
Upon a ship bound north. Today it's sailing forth."
A captain's job is fine, but Bill said, "I decline.
I'll take half pay as a sailor on that ship of mine.

CHORUS 2: "I've got a bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle.
She's waiting there for me
Beneath a bamboo tree.
Believe me, she's got the other bimbos beat a mile.
She dances gaily, daily.
She'd be a hit with Barnum Bailey.
I'll build a bungalow on the Bamboo Isle.
'Cause when I go again, I'll stay awhile.
Someone said, "What's a 'bimbo' mean?"
You take my advice.
I don't know what a bimbo means,
But a bimbo's awful nice.
All she wore was a great big Zulu smile,
My little bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle.

CHORUS 3: "I've got a bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle.
She's waiting there for me
Beneath a bamboo tree.
Believe me, she's got the other bimbos beat a mile.
She dances gaily, daily.
She'd be a hit with Barnum Bailey.
I'll build a bungalow on the Bamboo Isle.
'Cause when I go again, I'll stay awhile.
I've seen sights, plenty of sights,
Over in gay Paree,
But goodness knows, when they took my clothes,
What a sight they made of me!
All she wore was a great big Zulu smile,
My little bimbo down on the Bamboo Isle."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Little Bimbo (Down on the Bamboo Isle
From: masato sakurai
Date: 17 Oct 04 - 09:44 AM

The same 1920 sheet music is also at American Memory.

My Little Bimbo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Little Bimbo (Down on the Bamboo Isle)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 06:43 AM

You can also hear MY LITTLE BIMBO sung by Aileen Stanley in a 1921 recording at Turtle's 78-rpm Jukebox.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Little Bimbo (Down on the Bamboo I
From: pdq
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 11:26 AM

I used to have this song on a 78 rpm by Frank Crumit. That recording seems to be available as 'stream' or MP3 here:


                      Frank Crumit version, 1920