A popular song from 1920
Words by Lew Brown
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Gerd Westendorp:
Lyrics
1. On a little South Sea Isle
Where he lingered for a while
A sailor boy once met a maid
With such a winning smile
Their love affair was very short
He had a girl in every port
But of all the rest
He must have liked her best
For all day long you’ll hear him sing this song
CHORUS
She was oriental, oh, so sentimental
She had such a gentle way of getting you
Way of petting you
Every time she’d speak it sounded just like Greek
But, oh, when she held my hand
She made me feel like you understand
‘Neath the palm trees swaying
With her tomtoms playing
I can hear her saying, “You like-a me, like-a you
I was so far away from my home
And we were on an Island alone
Oh that Oriental girl of mine
2. Far away she’s pining, too
Dreams of him the whole day through
And prays that he’ll return some day
From ‘cross the ocean blue
Her little heart is aching so
Watching the ships that come and go
While way out at sea, and lonesome as can be
The sailor lad sings with a heart so sad