From the comedy “Love O’ Mike”, 1917
Words by Harry B. Smith
Music by Jerome Kern
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- A girl there is, she is young and fair
Even as you and I
Her face expresses resigned despair
We mustn’t mind how she does her hair
Be cause we know she has ears somewhere
Even as you and I
Chorus
She’s society’s drooping bud
The experienced Ingenue
A juvenile sphinx
No one knows what she thinks
Though you may imagine you do
This big world seems very strange and new
To the wondering gaze in her eyes of blue
She has only destroyed a home or two
Poor little Baby Vampire, Um, Um
Poor little Baby Vampire
Chorus
She’s society’s sweet sixteen
With the song that the sirens sing
Her face has the guile
Of the Mona Lisa’s smile
Which may mean most any old thing
If a story’s started a bit risqué
“Oh not before her” some one will say
She just drawls I heard it a different way
Poor little Baby Vampire, Um, Um
Poor little Baby Vampire
- This blase’ cherub goes everywhere
Even as you and I
Her skirts are brief as a sinner’s prayer
They’re apt to terminate anywhere
But like our Eva, wh “she don’t care”
Neither do you and I
Chorus
She’s society’s angel child
With the charm of old Egypt’s Queen
An amateur saint an old master would paint
And her eyes say “What do you mean?”
She’s a fluffy kitten, all fur and purr
Men lose their minds when they look at her
She will probably marry papa’s chauffeur
Poor little Baby Vampire, Um, Um
Poor little Baby Vampire
Chorus
With the college boys every night
She can dance until daylight glows
At six or about, when strong men are tired out
She is still as fresh as a rose
If a man should kiss her, she’d make no row
But calmly powder her baby brow
And say “Ah well, that is over now”
Poor little Baby Vampire, Um, Um
Poor little Baby Vampire