Lock Me in Your Harem and Throw Away the Key

From the musical “Watch Your Step” 1914
words and music by Irving Berlin

The sheet music:

Lock-Me-in-Your-Harem-and-Throw-Away-the-Key – Sheet MusicDownload

Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:

Lock_Me_In_Your_Harem_and_Throw_Away_The_Key – MIDIDownload

Lyrics

  1. In the heart of Cairo, the Sultan one day
    Nearly lost his life when his horse ran away
    Pat McCann, an Irishman, who happened to be there
    Stopped the horse and saved the Sultan’s life by a hair
    The Sultan said “I’ll give you anything I can afford”
    Patrick answered “If you want to give me a reward

Chorus
Lock me in your harem and throw away the key
Let me cuddle-uddle up to Rosie and May
Let me see the fat one who dances all the day
My eyes were made for seeing
Honest, I’m a human being
Down in your harem
There’s Rosie, Josie, Posie
And I know that you could spare ’em
So won’t you let me stay
Locked in the harem with the keys thrown away

  1. When the Sultan brushed off his clothes and could speak
    He replied “You’re welcome to stay for a week”
    Pat walked in the harem with a smile from ear to ear
    Tho’ the Sultan said a week, he stayed for a year
    The morning after Pat came home his wife began to weep
    He could not explain why he was singing in his sleep

Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: