Songs from The Great Gatsby

I have tracked down the songs Fitzgerald alludes to in The Great Gatsby: "The Love Nest" (1920), "Sheik of Araby" (1921), "Ain't We Got Fun?" (1921) and "Three o'Clock in the Morning" (1922). It's never mentioned in the book, but I can't help thinking that people were dancing the Charleston at Gatsby's parties, as we can see in the movie (1974).

Sheik of Araby

It was a popular song written in 1921. Words by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler. Music by Ted Snyder.

SHEIK OF ARABY

Well I'm the sheik of Araby
Your love belongs to me
Well at night where you're asleep
Into your tent I'll creep
The stars that shine above
Will light our way to love
Ah you rule this world with me
the sheik of Araby

Well I'm the sheik of Araby
Your love belongs to me
Wow oh at night where you're asleep
Into your tent I'll creep
Aha

The sun that shines above
Will light our way to love
You rule this world with me
I'm the sheik of Araby
Well I'm the sheik of Araby
Well I'm the sheik of Araby, yeah

Love Nest

A popular tune written in 1916 by Otto Harbach (words) and Louis A. Hirsch (music).

THE LOVE NEST

Many builders there have been
Since the world began,
Palace, cottage, mansion, inn
They have built for man.
Some were small and some were tall,
Long or wide or low...
But the best one of them of the all
Jack built long ago.
Was built in bygone days,
Yes, millions sing its praise:

Just a love nest, cozy and warm,
Like a dove rest, down on a farm,
A veranda with some sort of clinging vine,
Then a kitchen where some rambler roses twine;
Then a small room, tea set of blue,
There's the ball room, dream room for two,
Better than a palace with a gilded dome,
Is the love nest you can call home!

Building houses still goes on
Now as well as then
Ancient Jack and Jill are gone,
Yet return again.
Ever comes the question old,
"Shall we build for pride? Or,
Shall brick and mortar hold
worth and love inside?"
The answer you may know,
Jack solved it long ago...

Then a small room, tea set of blue,
There's the ball room, dream room for two,
Better than a palace with a gilded dome,
Is the love nest you can call home!

Ain't we got fun?

Popular song of 1921. Lyrics by Gus Kahn, Raymond B. Egan. Music by Richard Whiting.

AIN'T WE GOT FUN?

Bill collectors gather
'Round and rather
Haunt the cottage next door
Men the grocer and butcher sent
Men who call for the rent
But within a happy chappy
And his bride of only a year
Seem to be so cheerful
Here's an earful
Of the chatter you hear,

"Every morning,
Every evening,
Ain't we got fun?
Not much money,
Oh, but honey,
Ain't we got fun?
The rent's unpaid dear,
We haven't a bus.
But smiles were made, dear,
For people like us.
In the winter, in the Summer,
Don't we have fun?
Times are bum and getting bummer
Still we have fun.
There's nothing surer,
The rich get richer and the poor get children.
In the meantime,
In between time,
Ain't we got fun!"

Just to make their trouble nearly double
Something happened last night
To their chimney a gray bird came
Mister Stork is his name
And I'll bet two pins
A pair of twins
Just happen'd in with the bird
Still they're very gay and merry
Just at dawning I heard,

"Every morning,
Every evening,
Don't we have fun?
Twins and cares dear come in pairs, dear,
Don't we have fun?
We've only started
As mommer and pop.
Are we downhearted?
I'll say that we're not!
Landlord's mad and getting madder.
Ain't we got fun?
Times are so bad and getting badder,
Still we have fun.
There's nothing surer,
The rich get richer and the poor get laid off!
In the meantime,
In between time,
Ain't we got fun!

Three o'clock in the morning

It was a popular song of 1921. Lyrics by Dorothy Terriss. Music by Julian Robledo.

THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING

It's three o'clock in the morning,
We've danced the whole night thru,
And daylight soon will be dawning,
Just one more waits with you,
That melody so entrancing,
Seems to be made for us two,
I could just keep right on dancing
forever dear with you.

There goes the three o'clock chime,
chiming rhyming
My heart keeps beating in time,
Sounds like an old sweet love tune,
Say that there soon will be a honeymoon.

It's three o'clock in the morning,
We've danced the whole night thru,
And daylight soon will be dawning,
Just one more waltz with you,
That melody so entrancing,
Seems to be made for us two,
I could just keep right on dancing
forever dear with you.

Mendelssohn's Wedding March

One of the most famous music associated with weddings.

The Rosary

"The Rosary": was a popular Catholic religious song of the 1920's. It is probably an intentional irony that it is whistled by Wolfsheim, whose Jewish ethnicity has been emphasized throughout the book. Words and Music by Robert Cameron Rogers and Ethelbert Nevin.

THE ROSARY

The hours I spent with thee, dear heart
Are as a string of pearls to me;
I count them over ev'ry one apart,
My rosary, my rosary!

Each hour a pearl, each pearl a prayer
To still a heart in absence wrung:
I tell each bead unto the end,
And there a cross is hung!

O memories that bless and burn!
O barren gain and bitter loss!
I kiss each bead and strive at last to learn
To kiss the cross, sweetheart, to kiss the cross