Lena From Palestina

Translation / Interpretation / Caption Text

Lena From Palesteena lyrics:

In the Bronx of New York City lives a girl, she's not so pretty,

Lena is her name;

Such a clever girl is Lena, how she plays a concertina,

Really it's a shame;

She's such a good musician she got a swell position

To go across the sea to entertain,

And so they shipped poor Lena way out to Palesteena,

But now I hear that she don't look the same:

They say that

Chorus:

Lena is the Queen O' Palesteena, just because they like her concertina,

She plays it day and night, she plays with all her might,

She never gets it right, but how they love it, want more of it;

I heard her play, once or twice, Oh! murder! still it was nice;

She was fat but she got leaner pushing on her concertina,

Down old Palesteena way.

Lena's girl friend Arabella let her meet an Arab fella,

She thought he was grand,

On a camel's back a-swayin' you could hear Miss Lena playin'

O'er the desert sand;

She didn't play such new ones, for all she knew were blue ones,

Still you soft sat and listened by his tent,

And as he tried to kiss her she heard that Arab whisper,

"Oh! Lena, how I love your instrument."

They say that

Chorus

Lena is the Queen O' Palesteena, just because they like her concertina,

Each movement of her wrist, just makes them shake and twist,

They simply can't resist, her music funny gets the money;

There's nottin' sounds like it should, so rotten it's really good;

All the girls there dress like Lena, some wear oatmeal, some farina,

Down old Palesteena way.

Lyricists: Con Conrad and J. Russell Robinson