A popular song from 1916.
Words and Music by Irving Berlin.
Cover Art by Albert W. Barbelle.
Copyright ©30 Jun 1916.
Sheet Music from the collection of Michael Deatz.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
VERSE 1
A geisha girl is waiting for
Her little sailor man;
He sailed up on his man-of-war
And left her in Japan.
All day she watches anxiously,
And when the night appears,
She sadly gazes toward the sea
And murmurs through her tears:
CHORUS
“Hurry back
To my lonely little bamboo shack,
Where your lonely little geisha
So patiently waits for you.
Though my heart is grieving,
I’m still believing
that all the things that you say were true.
Here in Japan, behind my fan,
I’m thinking of my sailor man.
So won’t you hurry back
To my lonely little bamboo shake?
All by my ownsome
I’m lonesome for you.”
VERSE 2
Th geisha girl will never see
Her little sailor man;
Never again she’ll pour hs tea
As only geisha can;
Because the handsome sailor boy
Who sailed across the sea
Will soon forget his broken toy
Who murmurs tenderly:
REPEAT CHORUS