Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
American Soprano Lucy Gates (1882-1951) / A Geisha's Life (Dance My Little Geisha) / The Geisha (Greenbank; Jones) / Recorded: April 28, 1920 --
A GEISHA'S LIFE
Japanese Musical Play
THE GEISHA
Words by Harry Greenbank
Music by Sidney Jones
A geisha's life imagination tints
With all the charming colour of a rose
And people won't believe her when she hints
Its beauties are not quite what they suppose
Because I'm rather quaint and picturesque
They think that for a butterfly like me
Existence is delightfully grotesque
How very much mistaken folks may be
"Oh, dance, my little geisha gay
And sing your pretty songs!" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing and dance the live-long day?
"Oh, dance, and sing your pretty songs" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing the live-long day?
And ever as my samisen I play
Come lovers at my pretty feet to fall
Who fancy till I bid them run away
A geisha's heart has room enough for all
Yet Love may work his will, if so he please
His magic can a woman's heart unlock
As well beneath kimono Japanese
As under any smart Parisian frock
"We love you, little geisha gay
Oh won't you love us, too?" they say
But don't you see, it's lost on me
Who hear the same thing day by day?
"Oh, dance, and sing your pretty songs!" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing the live-long day
To sing.... ah....
The Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philp.
The Geisha opened in 1896 at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes. The original production was the second longest of any musical up to that time. The cast starred Marie Tempest and C. Hayden Coffin, with dancer Letty Lind and comic Huntley Wright. The show was an immediate success abroad, with an 1896 production in New York and numerous tours and productions in Europe and beyond. It continued to be popular until World War II and even beyond to some degree. The FULL wikipedia article can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geisha
EMMA LUCY GATES BOWEN (1882--1951): American opera singer and later the wife of Albert E. Bowen a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). She was often referred to as Lucy Gates and after her marriage as Lucy Gates Bowen or just Lucy Bowen. Emma Lucy Gates was the daughter of Jacob F. and Susa Young Gates, and thus a granddaughter of Brigham Young. She did not began her formal musical studies until the age of 12. She studied both violin and piano as well as vocal performance. In 1898 she traveled to Göttingen, Germany to study. The next year she began studies at the Berlin Conservatory but later began private studies under Blanche Corelli. Lucy received a contract with the Royal Opera of Berlin in 1909, and in 1911 became the prima coloratura soprano with the Kassel Royal Opera. In 1915, Lucy formed the Lucy Gates Grand Opera Company with her brother B. Cecil Gates. In July 1916 Lucy married widower Albert E. Bowen. Even after her marriage to Albert Bowen in 1916 she continued performing in operas and did recordings with Columbia Records. Lucy and Albert did not have any children of their own, but she raised his two sons from his first marriage. In 1928, Bowen served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention from Utah. In 1937 Albert Bowen was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and it was about this time that Lucy ended most of her public music appearances, although she continued teaching those seeking to enter opera until her death. Her last public concert appearance was in 1948. One of the Heritage Halls at Brigham Young University is named for Bowen. (wikipedia)
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American Soprano Lucy Gates (1882-1951) / A Geisha's Life (Dance My Little Geisha) / The Geisha (Greenbank; Jones) / Recorded: April 28, 1920 --
A GEISHA'S LIFE
Japanese Musical Play
THE GEISHA
Words by Harry Greenbank
Music by Sidney Jones
A geisha's life imagination tints
With all the charming colour of a rose
And people won't believe her when she hints
Its beauties are not quite what they suppose
Because I'm rather quaint and picturesque
They think that for a butterfly like me
Existence is delightfully grotesque
How very much mistaken folks may be
"Oh, dance, my little geisha gay
And sing your pretty songs!" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing and dance the live-long day?
"Oh, dance, and sing your pretty songs" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing the live-long day?
And ever as my samisen I play
Come lovers at my pretty feet to fall
Who fancy till I bid them run away
A geisha's heart has room enough for all
Yet Love may work his will, if so he please
His magic can a woman's heart unlock
As well beneath kimono Japanese
As under any smart Parisian frock
"We love you, little geisha gay
Oh won't you love us, too?" they say
But don't you see, it's lost on me
Who hear the same thing day by day?
"Oh, dance, and sing your pretty songs!" they say
But don't you see it's hard on me
Who sing the live-long day
To sing.... ah....
The Geisha, a story of a tea house is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts. The score was composed by Sidney Jones to a libretto by Owen Hall, with lyrics by Harry Greenbank. Additional songs were written by Lionel Monckton and James Philp.
The Geisha opened in 1896 at Daly's Theatre in London, produced by George Edwardes. The original production was the second longest of any musical up to that time. The cast starred Marie Tempest and C. Hayden Coffin, with dancer Letty Lind and comic Huntley Wright. The show was an immediate success abroad, with an 1896 production in New York and numerous tours and productions in Europe and beyond. It continued to be popular until World War II and even beyond to some degree. The FULL wikipedia article can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geisha
EMMA LUCY GATES BOWEN (1882--1951): American opera singer and later the wife of Albert E. Bowen a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). She was often referred to as Lucy Gates and after her marriage as Lucy Gates Bowen or just Lucy Bowen. Emma Lucy Gates was the daughter of Jacob F. and Susa Young Gates, and thus a granddaughter of Brigham Young. She did not began her formal musical studies until the age of 12. She studied both violin and piano as well as vocal performance. In 1898 she traveled to Göttingen, Germany to study. The next year she began studies at the Berlin Conservatory but later began private studies under Blanche Corelli. Lucy received a contract with the Royal Opera of Berlin in 1909, and in 1911 became the prima coloratura soprano with the Kassel Royal Opera. In 1915, Lucy formed the Lucy Gates Grand Opera Company with her brother B. Cecil Gates. In July 1916 Lucy married widower Albert E. Bowen. Even after her marriage to Albert Bowen in 1916 she continued performing in operas and did recordings with Columbia Records. Lucy and Albert did not have any children of their own, but she raised his two sons from his first marriage. In 1928, Bowen served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention from Utah. In 1937 Albert Bowen was called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and it was about this time that Lucy ended most of her public music appearances, although she continued teaching those seeking to enter opera until her death. Her last public concert appearance was in 1948. One of the Heritage Halls at Brigham Young University is named for Bowen. (wikipedia)
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