The Shade of the Palm

The singer must go but will return for his queen, 1900.
words and music by Leslie Stuart

This song is from the musical Florodora. In the plot, after Frank Abercoed refuses to marry Lady Holyrood, his boss, Gilfain, decrees he will marry her or be discharged. Once discharged, he will return to England. In this song, he tells Dolores he must go but will return for her if she waits patiently.


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. There is a garden fair, set in an eastern sea
    There is a maid keeping her tryst with me
    In the shade of the palm, with a lover’s delight
    Where ’tis ever the golden day, or a silvery night
    How can I leave her alone in this dream of sweet Arcadia?
    How can I part from her for lands away?
    In this valley of Eden, fairest isle of the sea
    Oh, my beloved, bid me to stay
    In this fair land of Eden, bid me, belov’d, to stay

Chorus
Oh, my Dolores, Queen of the Eastern sea!
Fair one of Eden, look to the west for me!
My star will be shining, love
When you’re in the moonlight calm
So be waiting for me by the Eastern sea
In the shade of the sheltering palm

  1. There is an island fair, girt by a Western sea
    Dearest, ’tis there one day thou’lt go with me
    ‘Neath the glorious moon, hand in hand we will roam
    Hear the nightingale song of June, in the dear Land of Home!
    There, dearest heart, will the past but seem an idle vision?
    Naught but a dream that fadeth fast away
    And the songs we were singing, in Elysian vales
    Seem but a carol of yesterday
    Happy songs we were singing, songs of a bygone day

Sung here by Fred Feild: