Ooo, Ooo, Lena! (1912)
Jerome D. Kern and John L. Golden
598475Ooo, Ooo, Lena!1912Jerome D. Kern and John L. Golden

[Verse 1]

Sheet music cover
PRALINE. When Lena was a naughty girl her mother used to say
"Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
She got into some diff'rent kind of trouble ev'ry day.
GIRLS. "Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
PRALINE. She'd slip into the cupboard just as quiet as a clam
And steal her fill of pasty tarts of jellies and of jam,
The first time mother caught her was the first time she said, "Sh!"
GIRLS. Ooo, Ooo, Lena!

[Refrain]

PRALINE. Ooo, Ooo, ts, ts, ts, Lena was so wild,
People used to wonder "what will happen to the child?"
Ooo,
GIRLS. Ooo, ts, ts, ts,
PRALINE. She was so indiscreet,
But Somehow little Lena always landed on her feet,
Lena landed on her
GIRLS. Rum tum tiddle diddle,
Rum tum tiddle diddle,
Rum tum tiddle diddle,
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, la.

[Verse 2]

PRALINE. One day she thought she'd have a swim and stay away from school
"Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
She took of mostly all her clothes and paddled in the pool.
GIRLS. "Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
PRALINE. A sudden shriek and Lena sank when from the bushes slid
A man, who fished her out but seemed ashamed of having hid,
Said Lena "Don't apologize I'm very glad you did!"
GIRLS. Ooo, Ooo, Lena!

[Verse 3]

PRALINE.One day she said to mother this here town is awful slow
"Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
I've got what's known as Wanderlust and so I guess I'll go
GIRLS. "Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
PRALINE. She got aboard a train without a single sou you see
And simply said Conductor, can't you let me go through free?
"And when she smiled he answered that seem fare enough to me!"
GIRLS.Ooo, Ooo, Lena!

[Verse 4]

PRALINE. When Lena reached the city why the queerest things occurred,
"Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
The way folks fell for Lena's smile was really most absurd.
GIRLS. "Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
PRALINE. For ev'ry man who saw it went immediately wild
And offered rings and other things unto the angel child,
And she accepted evry thing that came her way and smiled!
GIRLS. Ooo, Ooo, Lena!

[Verse 5]

PRALINE. Now Lena's poor old folks at home got poorer ev'ry year
"Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
Kept losing all their money as they'd lost their Lena, dear.
GIRLS. "Ooo, Ooo, Lena!"
PRALINE. They quite made up their minds that she had surely come to harm
When one day she came home and there was no cause for alarm,
She'd make enough to take the darned old mortgage off the farm!
GIRLS. Oh you, Lena!

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1955, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 68 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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