From the musical “King of Cadonia”, 1910
Words by M. E. Rourke
Music by Jerome D. Kern
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Now once upon a time I fell in love
You’ll pardon me, that just reminds me
Of a girl I met in Hungary
When anybody speaks of love
I have to speak of her
Her pretty shoe and stockings, too
Set all my blood astir
There is only one thing
Against her I can say
The day I loaned my watch to her
She went away
Did you notice if she wore
A buckle on her shoe?
If she wore a stocking
Tell me was that stocking blue?
And did you loan your watch to her
Why that’s what I did, too
Yes! It must have been Lena
Refrain
Lena, Lena, where did you go?
Lena, Lena, I’d like to know
You went away to foreign parts
And left a string of broken hearts
Behind you, behind you
Lena, Lena, I am so blue
Lena, Lena, are you untrue?
You made your hay, they went away
And every day I say
I wish I could find you
- Now once upon a time I fell in love
You’ll pardon me, I used to know
A little girl I met in gay Paree
Poor dear she hated walking
And or course I had to get
Each time we took a promenade
A carriage for my pet
There is only one thing
Against her I can say
The horrid way she left me
At the Bon Marche
Did she kiss you when at last
The carriage made a stop?
Have you ever seen her
Since she went in to that shop?
And did you to the loss of any valuables drop
Yes! It must have been Lena - Now once upon a time I fell in love
You’ll pardon me but what you said
Reminds me of a girl in Italy
While waiter in a cafe there
I served her things to eat
She choose a table near the door
Convenient to the street
There is only one thing
Against her I can say
The day she paid me with a check she went away
Tell me, was she very fond
Of English breakfast tea?
Was she with the mustard
Most extravagantly free?
And was the check she gave you
With the kind they mark “N. G.”
Yes! It must have been Lena