Bombay
AKA | Will you come back to Bom Bom Bombay? |
First Published | 1905 |
Writer/composer | Harry Castling, A.J. Mills & C.W. Murphy | Roud | RN13663 |
Music Hall Performers | Victoria Monks |
Folk performances | Collected from the singing of: Pardon, Walter; England: Norfolk; 1987 |
On a sunny summer's day, there was sailing from Bombay, A big and stately troopship that was going through the spray To mighty England many miles away. A soldier gazed with pride, on his sweetheart by his side, Said he "Goodbye, my treasure, I shall soon be on the tide, And when I come back you shall be my bride" But as she was uncertain of his love — with many sighs, She murmur'd as the love-light came into her coal black eyes: Will you come back to Bom-Bombay? I'm grieving now you're leaving, For a land so far away. So sad and lonely I shall be All the time that you're away Tell me true — tell me, do, Will you come back to Bom-Bombay? He exclaimed "My sweetheart kind. though I'm leaving you behind And may not see your face for years, you'll never, never find That you were out of sight and out of mind. Though weary years may go, and between us oceans flow. I'll prize you even more. for little girl I have you know In the absence of my fond love will stronger grow." She hung her head in silence— her poor heart began to beat And when she made him answer, it was only to repeat: "I am thinking, love" said she "When you land across the sea, Some other girl may come along and gain your sympathy, And then perhaps you'll be forgetting me There are scores of girls divine in their silks and satins fine In the country you are going to, but sweetheart I opine, No heart could ever beat for you like mine The last "Good-bye" was said and as the vessel left the shore She waved her handkerchief and cried in broken voice once more:
A song from the 1900s, sung by Victoria Monks and written by Harry Castling, A.J. Mills & C.W. Murphy who between them were responsible for some of the biggest hits of that time.
I haven’t been able to access the recording to confirm it, but it appears to be the same song that was collected from the singing of Walter Pardon under the title Will you come back to Bombay?
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A13663
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics and sheet music: Personal Copy