A popular song from 1917.
Words by Ballard MacDonald.
Music by Leo Edwards.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. To a garden in Japan
One day came a sailor man
Met a little Geisha, fair to see
Sipping tea ‘neath a cherry tree
“Pretty Lotus Bloom” said he
“Will you give a kiss to me?
For my heart is light and fancy free”
“Ah! that’s the very reason why I won’t” said she
CHORUS
See that painted butterfly
Pass the faded flowers by
Yesterday the honey sweet he sipped
From their lips, today the visit’s skipped
And now they’re left along to pine and sigh
Love has fled, they’ll droop and die
Ah! Sailor man you’ll love today
And then tomorrow sail away
Good-bye, Mister Butterfly
2. Tho it was the old, old tale
Little did his plea avail
“But I will be ever true” said he
“Yes!” said she “And you might not be
There was Madam Butterfly
Just a Geisha, such as I
To a sailor bold she lost her heart
I have not the least desire to play her part