Lyrics to popular 1930s songs
These next 4 pages from the October 1935 Popular Songs Magazine contain lyrics to the popular songs of the mid-30s, along with pictures of well known singers.
I’ve used an Optical Image Reader to efficiently extract the text from these old magazine pages, and have embedded video and audio when I can find it. Enjoy this first page of 1930s popular song lyrics!
EMPTY SADDLES
(By Billy Hill)
There’s something strange in the old corral,
There’s a breeze, though the wind has died,
Though I’m alone in the old corral,
Seems there is someone at my side:
Chorus
Empty saddles in the old corral,
Where do ya ride tonight?
Are ya roundin’ up the dogies,
The strays of long ago,
Are ya on the trail of buffalo?
Empty saddles in the old corral,
Where do ya ride tonight?
Are there rustlers on the border,
Or a band of Navajo,
Are ya headin’ for the Alamo?
Empty guns covered with rust,
Where do ya talk tonight?
Empty boots, covered with dust,
Where do ya walk tonight?
Empty saddles in the old corral,
My tears Would be dried tonight,
If you’ll only say I’m lonely
As ya carry my old pal,
Empty saddles in the old corral.
(2nd Verse)
There is no smoke, still the fires burn,
There’s no song, still I hear guitars,
There is no dust, still the ghosts retturn,
Softly to vanish th1u the bars:
(BY SHAPIRO, BERNSTEIN & Co INL.)
Here is Bing Crosby singing Empty Saddles in 1936:
DANCING ‘TIL DAWN
(By E. P. La Freniere)
Two hearts in love,
Moonlight above,
Dear, while we dance,
This waltz of romance,
I’ll tell you how I love you.
Chorus:
Dancing ’til dawn,
Just you and I alone,
In our rendezvous,
Dancing ’til dawn,
The greatest thrill known,
Hearing you say, “I love you”,
The starlight my love,
Is softly fading above,
Hold me tight,
The night is through,
Dancing ’til dawn,
My sweetest dreams come true,
Dancing my darling, with you.
Copyright BY Roy music., INC.)
Sing a Song a Day if You Want to Keep Gay
BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE WALTZ
This is your song
As you flow along
You whisper it seems
Of sweethearts and dreams
Your melody brings
On memory’s wings
One night long ago
Love was new, and
l waltzed this waltz with you.
I can’t find a video or audio recording of this waltz with singing 🙁
FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT MARCH
(By William H. Woodin and Irving Caesar)
Let‘s greet the Dawn with Roos’velt,
In Washington, D. C..
With him to lead US.
Hope shall speed us
Hail! Franklin D!
Keep marching on with Roos’velt.
For there is sure to be,
A shining light housc
In the White House
For you and me!
(COPYRIGHT BY MILLER MUSIC, INC.)
I can’t find a version of the Franklin D. Roosevelt March with singing in it, but here is a lovely instrumental:
I JUST MADE UP WITH THAT OLD GIRL OF MINE
(By George A. Little, Harry Pease and
George B. McConnell)
Life is glorious, simply glorious
Tell the sun not to shine;
Let it rain, and see if I care;
Talk of huddlin’, talk of cuddlin’
I’ll be getting ‘my share;
Listen to me, yes, listen to me:
(Chorus)
I just made up with that old girl of
mine,
Took her back to my arms just in
tinie;
What a great mistake I’d make,
If I let somebody take,
Love that blooms from the lips that
are mine;
To forgive don’t they say is divine,
For a quarr’l there’s no reason or rhyme;
Now this world, I can see,
Will be heaven for me,
Since I made up with that old girl
of mine
(2nd Verse)
I don’t give a rap, not a finger snap,
What the others may say;
Let them talk, and think what they will,
I don’t care if she was untrue to me,
I’m in love with her still;
Oh, what a day, it’s my lucky day:
(COPYRIGHT BY JOE DAVIS, INC.)
JUANITA
Soft o’er the fountain,
Ling’ring falls the southern moon;
Far o’er the mountain
Breaks the day too soon!
In thy dark eyes, splendor,
Where the warm light loves to dwell,
Weary looks, yet tender,
Speak their fond farewell.
Nita! Jua-ni-ta!
Ask thy soul
If we should part!
Nita! Jua-ni-ta!
Lean thou on my heart.
When in they dreaming
Moons like, these shall shine again,
And daylight beaming,
Prove thy dreams are vain,
Wilt thou not, relenting,
For thine absent lover sigh?
In thy heart consenting
To a pray’r gone by?
Nita! Jua-ni~ta§
Be my own Fair Bride.
I found two versions of this. An acoustic version without singing:
And a cheesy 1960s version by Jim Reeves:
