A popular song from 1904
Words by James O’Dea
Music by Chas. L. Johnson
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. Many, many years ago
In a valley where the prairie roses grow
Once there lived an Injun Queen of sweet sixteen
Who never knew a care
To her lodge beneath the tree
Came a copper colored aboriginee
To this maiden sightly
He would nightly warble there
Chorus:
My sweet Iola, Iola, list to me
My dream of bliss to be
Come throw a kiss to me
For you I’m waiting
Here ‘neath the stars a-shine
My love please don’t decline
Iola mine.
2. To that ditty singing brave
Not a shadow of encouragement she gave
Nightly he would sigh for hours
And send her flow’rs
The while his love he told
And he persevered so well
That at last he won his copper colored belle
With this serenade he woos his lady as of old