The Girl Friend Of The Whirling Dervish

Written for: Garden Of The Moon (1938)
Performer: John Payne, Jerry Colonna, Johnnie "Scat" Davis, Ray Mayer, Joe Venuti & Studio Chorus
Lyric: Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1938
Original publisher: Harms, Inc.

Sheet music version:

Verse:

One fine day, I chanced to stray 
On a little side street in old Bombay 
And met a sentimental oriental;
She saw me and I saw she 
Had a manner too bold and much too free;
Her eyes were positively detrimental;
When I asked about this gay coquette,
I discovered much to my regret;

Chorus 1:

She's the girl friend of the whirling dervish, 
She's the sweetest one he's found;
But ev'ry night, in the mellow moonlight, 
When he's out dervishing with all his might,
She gives him the run-around.
All the boy friends of the whirling dervish
Are his best friends to his face;
But there's no doubt, when he isn't about,
They all come hurrying to take her out,
She leads him a dizzy pace.
He dreams of a Hindu honeymoon,
He doesn't dream that ev'ry night when he goes out
To make an honest rupee,
She steps out to make a lotta whoopee.
Oh, the love song of the whirling dervish
Has a sweet and tender sound;
But will he burn if he ever should learn
That while he's doing her a real good turn,
She gives him the run-around.

Chorus 2:

She's the girl friend of the whirling dervish, 
She's the sweetest one he's found;
But ev'ry night, in the mellow moonlight, 
When he's out dervishing with all his might,
She gives him the run-around.
All the boy friends of the whirling dervish
Are his best friends to his face;
But there's no doubt, when he isn't about,
They all come hurrying to take her out,
She leads him a dizzy pace.
He dreams of a Hindu honeymoon,
He doesn't dream that ev'ry night when he goes out
To make an honest rupee,
She steps out to make a lotta whoopee.
Oh, the love song of the whirling dervish
Has a sweet and tender sound;
But will he burn if he ever should learn
That while he's doing her a real good turn,
She gives him the run-around.
She's got a nervish, throwin' him a curvish,
Which, of course, he doesn't deservish,
Poor old whirling dervish!

Movie version:

Chorus 1:

(John Payne:) She's the girl friend of the whirling dervish, 
She's the sweetest one he's found;
But ev'ry night, in the mellow moonlight, 
While he's out dervishing with all his might,
She gives him the run-around.
All the boy friends of the whirling dervish
Are his best friends to his face;
But there's no doubt, when he isn't about,
They all come hurrying to take her out,
She leads him a dizzy pace.
He dreams of a Hindu honeymoon,
He doesn't dream that ev'ry night when he goes out
To make an honest rupee,
She steps out to make a lotta whoopee.
Oh, the love song of the whirling dervish
Has a sweet and tender sound;
But will he burn if he ever should learn
That while he's doing her a real good turn,
She gives him the run-around.

Verse:

(Band:) People say she likes to stay
With the phonograph playin' all the day,
She loves to hear those hot musicians jivin'.
So, they come with a fife and drum,
The clarinet's goin' rum-tum-tum,
You'd think that Benny Goodman was arrivin';
All night long they try to win her hand,
Serenadin' her to beat the band!

Chorus 2:

(Band:) Alabama tried to win her affection
On his brand new flugel horn;
Oh, oh! Yeah, yeah!
She says he's full of corn.
Then the swami took up "The Song of India,"
You could he-hear the others shout;
Oh, oh! Yeah, yeah!
She yelled, "Throw that oboe out!"
The noise reached the maharaja
And you could hear him holler,
"Listen, I played bass when I was down in Cuba,
I bet I could win her on a tuba!"
So, she listened to the maharaja
As he tried to, he tried to go to town.
The she cried, "Ev'rybody go inside,
Oh, oh, let me play it on my trombone slide,
'Cause I'll really mow you down!"

Interlude 1:

INSTRUMENTAL

Interlude 2:

(Jerry Colonna:) <jibberish> Swing it, gate! Swing it, gate!
(Joe Venuti:) <jibberish> Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
(Scat Davis:) <jibberish> Yeah, man! Yeah, man!
(Joe Venuti:) Swing it, gate! No good!
Yeah, man! Too bad!
Oh, boy! Very sad!
Alligator! That's the ticket!
Bong, bong, bong, bong-bong;
Bong, bong, pow, pong-pong.
<jibberish>
(Payne:) But will he burn if he ever should learn
That while he's doing her a real good turn,
She gives him the run-around.
(Davis:) She's got a nervish, throwin' him a curvish,
Which, of course, he doesn't deservish,
(All:) Poor old whirling dervish!
(Colonna:) Oooaaaahhh...
(All:) Is that so!?