Ukulele Lady
Performer: Frank Crumit
Gus Kahn, Richard A. Whiting
Victor, 1925
MP3 1,262K
You get the impression the 1920s were just lousy with ukuleles, don't you?The fascination with the ukulele (which was invented around 1880) and with Hawaii (which became a US territory in 1900) both apparently hit the mainland in the teens. Chicken, egg. The ukulele was actually invented by a couple of Portuguese immigrants who came to work the sugar cane fields, but the Hawaiians took to the instrument immediately, and so can't be held entirely blameless. The word "ukulele" means "jumping fleas" - so called because of the speed that the players' fingers flew over the strings (or so says ukes.com. I have my own ideas).
In the '20s, big American instrument makers like Gibson and Martin began churning ukes in swarms, and suddenly popular music was full of yaaka hula hickey doo.
On Honolulu Bay.
There's something tender in the moonlight,
On Honolulu Bay.
And all the beaches are filled with peaches
Who bring their ukes along
And in the glimmer of the moonlight
They love to sing this song.
If you like Ukulele Lady
Ukulele Lady like-a you.
If you like to linger where it's shady
Ukulele Lady linger too.
If you kiss Ukulele Lady
While you promise ever to be true
And she sees another Ukulele
Lady foolin' 'round with you.
Maybe she'll sigh
Maybe she'll cry
Maybe she'll find somebody else
By and by.
To sing to when it's cool and shady
Where the tricky wicky wacky woo.
If you like Ukulele Lady
Ukulele Lady like-a you.
She used to sing to me by moonlight
On Honolulu Bay.
Fond memories cling to me by moonlight
Although I'm far away.
Some day I'm going, where eyes are glowing
And lips are made to kiss.
To see somebody in the moonlight
And hear the song I miss.
If you like Ukulele Lady
Ukulele Lady like-a you-you-you.
If you like to linger where it's shady
Ukulele Lady linger too.
If you kiss Ukulele Lady
While you promise ever to be true-true-true
And she see another Ukulele
Lady foolin' 'round with you.
Maybe she'll sigh (an awful lot)
Maybe she'll cry (and maybe not)
Maybe she'll find somebody else
By and by.
To sing to when it's cool and shady
Where the tricky wicky wacky woo-woo-woo.
If you like Ukulele Lady
Ukulele Lady like a-you, like-a me
Like-a I like-a you
And we both-a like the same
I'd like to say
This very day,
Ukulele lady like-a you.