Berlin Irving - In My Harem (1 Feb 1913) Lyrics

Berlin Irving
Miscellaneous
In My Harem (1 Feb 1913)
[1st verse:]
Down in urkey-urkey, Abie Cohen
Was selling fancy clothes to anyone who'd wear 'em
When the Turks were called away to war
A Turk asked Abie if he wouldn't watch his harem
Abie said "With pleasure, I will cover ev'ry track
I'll take care of ev'rything, so don't you hurry back"
Abie then sat down and wrote a note
To all his friends at home and this is what he wrote:

[chorus:]
In my Harem, my Harem
There's Rosie, Josie, Posie
And there never was a minute
King Solomon was in it
Wives for breakfast
Wives for supper time
Lots of fancy dancing and it doesn't cost a dime
There's Annie, Fannie, Jenny
And the dance they do
Would make you wish that you
Were in a Harem with Abie Cohen

[2nd verse:]
Abie said, "I've got a thousand wives
And ev'ry one of them has got a perfect figure
Small ones, tall ones, big as they could be
There's some as big as that, and some are even bigger
That young Turk ain't coming back until the war is won
I don't wish him hard luck, but I hope they steal his gun
I am living many happy lives
How can a man get lonesome with a thousand wives"


[The sheet music allows for substitutions: "Pat Malone" for "Abie
Cohen", and "Patrick" for "Abie"]