From the 1917 musical “Leave It To Jane”.
Words by P. G. Wodehouse.
Music by Jerome Kern.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- On an Island far away
So the old world legends say
Sat wicked Sirens all day long
Singing their sweet deceitful song
Mariners came sailing near
Heard that song so soft and clear
Answered the call that lured them all
And upon the reef came straight to grief
Chorus
Come to us, we’ve waited so long for you
Every day we’ll make a new song for you
Come, come to us we love you so
Leave behind the world and it’s fretting
And we will give you rest and forgetting
So sang the Sirens ages and ages ago
Chorus
Come to us, we’ve waited so long for you
We’ll make life a beautiful song for you
Come, come to us we love you so
Leave behind the world and it’s fretting
And we will give you rest and forgetting
So sang the Sirens ages and ages ago
- Now long years have passed away
Sirens are a myth they say
But you still find them none the less
Singing today in modern dress
Just the same they set their snare
Sweetly smiling, false and fair
Turn a deaf ear when you are near
Or upon the reef you’ll come to grief
Chorus
Come to us, we’ve waited so long for you
We’ll make life one beautiful song for you
Come, come to us we love you so
That’s the song the Sirens will sing you
And if you hark to shipwreck they’ll bring you
Just as they used to ages and ages ago
Chorus
Come to us, we’ve waited so long for you
We’ll make life a beautiful song for you
Come, come to us we love you so
Leave behind the world and it’s fretting
And we will give you rest and forgetting
So sang the Sirens ages and ages ago
Sung here by Fred Feild: