Poor Butterfly
John Golden (w), Raymond Hubbell (m)
The Big Show, 1915
VERSE 1
There's a story of a little Japanese
sitting demurely 'neath the cherry blossom trees.
Miss Butterfly her name.
A sweet little innocent child was she,
Till a fine young American from the sea.
To her garden came.
They met 'neath the cherry blossoms ev'ry day
and he taught her how to love in the 'Merican way,
To love with her soul! 'twas easy to learn;
Then he sailed away with a promise to return.
REFRAIN
Poor Butterfly!
'neath the blossoms waiting
Poor Buttefly!
For she loved him so.
The moment pass into hours
The hours pass into years
And as she smiles through her tears,
She murmurs low,
The moon and I know that he be faithful,
I'm sure he come to me bye and bye.
But if he don't come back
Then I never sigh or cry
I must die.
Poor Butterfly.
VERSE 2
"Won't you tell my love" she would whisper to the breeze
Tell him I'm waiting 'neath the cherry blossom trees.
My Sailor man to see.
The bees and the humming birds say they guess,
Ev'ry day that passes makes one day less.
'Till you come to me.
For once Butterfly she gives her heart away,
She can never love again she is his for aye.
Through all of this world, For ages to come,
So her face just smiles, tho' her heart is growing numb.
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 | Recorded | Performers | Label | Cat.# | Matrix |
|
|
| | Art Tatum | ARA | 4502 | ARA1041=1B |
| | Paul Weston Orchestra | Capitol | 520 | |
| | Paul Weston And His Orchestra | Capitol | 10130 | |
| | The Pied Pipers | Capitol | 10159 | |
| | Charles Harrison | Columbia | A2206 | 47343 |
| | Prince's Band | Columbia | A5930 | 49030 |
| | Katherine Clark (Soprano) | Columbia | A2167 | 47167 |
| | Guido Deiro (Accordion) | Columbia | A2202 | 47307 |
| | Grady Martin & His Slewfoot 5 | Decca | 28689 | 83886 |
| | Victor Sylvester & His Orchestra | Decca | 1070 | |
| | Emerson Symphony Orchestra | Emerson | 7123 | 2403 |
| | The Bobby True Trio | Mercury | 5073 | 1059 |
| | Sarah Vaughn | Mercury | 71085 | |
| | Sherbo's Castle-By-Sea Orchestra | Pathé | 20132 | T65998 |
| | Pathe Dance Orchestra | Pathé | 20150 | |
| | Johnny Long & His Orchestra | Signature | 15196-A | 598 |
| | Frances Alda | Victor | 64653 | |
| | Fritz Kreisler (Violin) | Victor | 64655 | |
| 12/15/1916 | Edna Brown | Victor | 18211-A | 18900 |
| 01/19/1917 | Joseph C Smith's Orchestra | Victor | 18246-A | 19096 |
| 01/24/1917 | Columbia Saxophone Sextette | Columbia | A2203 | 47312 |
| 02/07/1928 | Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra | Victor | 24078 | 41680 |
| 03/02/1928 | Red Nichols & His Orchestra | Brunswick | 20062-A | XE26772/3 |
| 06/18/1928 | George Mcmurphy & His Orchestra | Columbia | 1498-D | W146452 |
| 05/16/1932 | Isham Jones & His Orchestra | Brunswick | 6338 | 11837 |
| 04/09/1936 | Benny Goodman Sextet | Parlophone | R 2753 | 26719-A |
| 12/13/1937 | Andy Kirk And His Clouds Of Joy | Decca | 1663-A | 62873-A |
| 11/04/1938 | Bobby Hackett & His Orchestra | Vocalion | 4499 | M918 |
| 10/02/1939 | Red Nichols & His Orchestra | Bluebird | B10522-B | 042772 |
| 04/10/1940 | Benny Goodman Sextet | Columbia | 35466 | WCO26719 |
| 04/10/1940 | Benny Goodman Sextet | Columbia | 36722 | WCO26719 |
| 04/13/1941 | Leo Reisman & His Orchestra | Victor | 27435 | 55481 |
| 04/13/1941 | Leo Reisman & His Orchestra | Victor | 27627 | 55481 |
| 10/09/1941 | Deanna Durbin | Decca | 18297-B | DLA2790 |
| 10/15/1946 | Benny Goodman & His Orchestra | Harmony | 1061 | HCO2084 |
| 06/28/1950 | Erroll Garner Trio | Columbia | 39145 | CO44027 |
| 06/28/1950 | Erroll Garner Trio | Columbia | 39166 | CO44027 |
| 06/14/1953 | Arnett Cobb & His Orchestra | Mercury | 70101 | 9469 |
|
Year | Title | Medium | Type | Usage |
|
|
1916 | The Big Show | stage | stage original | introduced |