First World War.com - Vintage Audio - Oh, You Beautiful Doll

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Sheet music to "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" Vintage Audio: Oh, You Beautiful Doll
Updated - Saturday, 7 June, 2003

Although actually written in 1911 by Nat D. Ayer (music) and Seymour Brown (lyrics), Oh, You Beautiful Doll remained popular throughout the war years.

It has featured in numerous major movies including The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (starring Astaire and Rogers) in 1939, For Me and My Gal in 1942 (sung by Judy Garland), Broadway Rhythm in 1944 and The Eddie Cantor Story in 1953.

The song was popularised by The American Quartet; the version available here (click here) was performed by Billy Murray and The American Quartet and was recorded in 1912 (MP3 format 1,137kb).

Oh, You Beautiful Doll

Hon-ey dear, Want you near,
Just turn out the light
and then come ov-er here,
Nes-tle close Up to my side,
My hear-t's a fire
With love's de-sire.
In my arms, rest com-plete,
I nev-er thought that life
could ev-er be so sweet Till
I met you, some time a go,
But now I know I love you so.

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
Let me put my arms a-bout you,
I could nev-er live with-out you;

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
If you ev-er leave me how my heart will ache,
I want to hug you but I fear you'd break

Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, you beau-ti-ful doll!

Prec-ious prize, Close your eyes,
Now we're goin' to vis-it
lov-er's par-a-dise, Press your lips
A-gain to mine, For love is king

Of ev'-ry thing. Squeeze me dear,
I don't care! Hug me just as
if you were a griz-zly bear
This is how I'll go through life,
No care or strife When you're my wife.

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
Let me put my arms a-bout you,
I could nev-er live with-out you;

Oh! you beau-ti-ful doll,
you great big beau-ti-ful doll!
If you ev-er leave me how my heart will ache,
I want to hug you but I fear you'd break

Oh, oh, oh, oh,
Oh, you beau-ti-ful doll!

By 1918 the percentage of women to men working in Britain had risen to 37% from 24% at the start of the war.