GIRL FRIEND OF THE WHIRLING DERVISH, THE
Type
Song
Composer
Harry Warren
Lyricist
Al Dubin & Johnny Mercer
Publisher
Harms, Inc.
Show/Movie
Garden of the Moon, The
Notes
The oriental mixture of Turkish dervishes and Bombay Hindu honeymoons is still in vogue.
It was featured in "Garden of the Moon" [q.v.] (Warner Bros, 1938) with Pat O'Brien.

This song is sung by Porky Pig in the Looney Tunes cartooon "Ali Baba Bound" [in video file]. The story line is the Foreign Legion trope: Porky Pig must defend the desert fort from "Ali Baba and the Dirty Sleeves." Ali Baba is further described as "The Mad Dog of the Desert" and as part of the attack on the fort there is a bench reserved for the "Suicide Squad." The sole occupant of this bench is an Arab with an artillery shell strapped to his head as a helmet/ram. In the climax of the action, this bomber runs at the gate of the fort, but at the last moment the gate is opened, the Arab continues to run through the fort and out the rear door straight into the camp of the Arabs which is demolished in the explosion, thus hoisting the Arabs by their own petard.

The cartoon may have been produced about the time "Beau Geste" was released in 1939 to capitalize on the publiciity for that film.
Lyrics

One fine day I chanced to stray
on a little side street in old Bombay
and met a sentimental oriental,
She saw me and I saw she
had a manner to bold and much too free,
Her eyes were positively detrimental,
When I asked about this gay coquette,
I discovered to my regret;

CHORUS:
She's the girl friend of the whirling dervish,
She's the sweetest one he's found,
But ev'ry night in the mellow moon-light,
When he's out dervishing with all his might,
she gives him the run around,
All the boy friends of the whilring dervish
are his best friends to his face,
But there's no doubt, when he isn't about,
they all come hurrying to take her out,
She leads him a dizzy pace,
He dreams of a Hindu honeymoon,
He doesn't dream that ev'ry night when he
goes out to make an honest rupee,
She steps out to make a lotta whoopee.
Oh! the love song of the whirling dervish
has a sweet and tender sound,
But will he burn if he ever should learn
that while he's doing her a real good turn,
She gives him the run-around.
She's got a nervish,
throwin' him a curvish,
Which of course he doesn't deservish,
Poor old whirling dervish!