Track Title:               The Sirens  (aka 'Four Little Sirens')


Prime Artist:              Mary Woodyatt
Lyrics by:                 Ira Gershwin     (b. Israel Gershvin)
Lyrics by:                 Arthur Francis (pseudonym for Ira Gershwin)
Music by:                  George Gershwin     (b. Jacob Gershvin)

Vocal:                     Virgina Clark
Vocal:                     Lorna Sanderson
Vocal:                     Mae Carmen
From the Show:             Primrose  1924 (S)

From the Show:             A Dangerous Maid  1921 (S)

Lyrics:
Four little sirens, we,
Making the mermen fall for us.
We never go in the sea,
But we work as well as any sirens of mythology.
Four little sirens, we,
Making the mermen call for us.
We never swim in the sea,
Still we get along quite swimmingly.
It's bad to pun, *+
It isn't being done,
But still we get along quite swimmingly,
If you should come along the beach,
If you should come within our reach.
Take care!  Beware!
For though your fingers may be crossed,
Your heart soon tells you that you're lost;
Poor John!  You're gone!

For we are beautiful,
We're tutti-frutti-ful;
With charm perpetual,
We get you all.
We get you one and all.
We're grace personified;++
Our forms are bona fide.*
So you who linger on the shore
Fall by the score
Without a fuss.
And when the waves grow very wild,
You find they're mild
Compared to us.

Each one of us works a diff'rent plan
To catch the poor fish know as man.

[Babe]
The men all follow me;+
My popularity
Depends on something stronger than tea.
[Shows whiskey flask]

[Teddy]
My method, I'll confess,
Has brought me great success~
It's simply knowing how to say yes.

[Bunny]
When I see a big wave coming,
I just murmur, "Oh, sir!
I'm afraid, so won't you cuddle closer?

[Toots]
My work is never rough;
No Theda Bara stuff.++
I find a baby stare is enough.

Four little sirens, we,
Making the mermen fall for us,
Making the mermen call for us,
Making them say they're all for us;
Four little fly little sly little sirens, we.
----
*Alternate version of line 9:
It's wrong to pun!
+Alternate versions of lines 9-10
Our hearts are set
On never getting wet
++Alternate version of lines 23-24
We'll fool each one of you,
Each mother's son of you,
*Alternate version of line 24:
Our figures bona fide,
+Alternate version of lines 33-44:

[Babe]
My method I'll confess
Has brought me great success.
It's simply knowing how to say yes.

[Teddy]
My ways are never rough;
No Theda Bara stuff.
I find a baby stare is enough.