Historic Sheet Music Collection

Document Type

Score

Publication Date

1915

Comments

MacIntosh Collection

New York (224 West 47th Street, New York) : Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., ©1915

Some of these resources may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes. Such materials should be seen in the context of the time period and as a reflection of attitudes of the time. The items are part of the historical record, and do not represent the views of the library or the institution.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
If you’re tired of this life,
If you’re lonely with one wife,
Take my little tip,
Take your little grip,
Take a little trip to India far away,
Down to Bom-Bombay:

[Chorus]
Down in Bom-Bombay,
Where the palm trees sway,
Where you clap your hands,
Then you give commands
To those Indian bands to play a little tom-tom (hear ‘em)
There the girlies sway,
In that Oriental way,

[Ending 1]
Ev’ry cat has got nine lives,
Ev’ry man has got nine wives,
Down in Bom-Bombay

[Verse 2]
There the tropic breezes blow,
There the waw-waw bushes grow,
Where the girls are nice,
They eat curried rice,
Full of red hot spice in India far away,
Down in Bom-Bombay:

[Chorus]

[Ending 2]
Where you lead the simple life,
Ev’ry day a diff’rent wife,
Down in Bom-Bombay.

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