Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I came across the sheet music for a broken-heart love song written in 1914 about our little ol’ inlet. The lyrics were written by A. Seymour Brown, better known for his lyrics to “Oh, You Beautiful Doll.” Visit Halcyon Days Music to listen to the melody. And now for your amusement and education, here are the words to Way Down on Tampa Bay:

Twilight is falling, I’m so lonesome and blue,
Twilight is calling back sweet mem’ries of you.

And as the night-breeze
sighs in the palm trees
Somehow it seems to say:

My heart is yearning
for your returning,
Way down on Tampa Bay.

(refrain)
On Tampa Bay
the moonbeams play,
When the harbor lights are gleaming I am dreaming of the day
You won my heart, dear, then sailed away,
And you left me so lonely Way down on Tampa Bay.

Moonlight is slowly stealing over the sea,
Moonlight just like the night you whispered to me

Then all my gladness,
turned into sadness
After I heard you say:

Though we must part, dear,
I leave my heart here.
Way down on Tampa Bay.

On Tampa Bay
the moonbeams play
When the harbor lights are gleaming I am dreaming of the day
You won my heart, dear, then sailed away,
And you left me so lonely Way down on Tampa Bay.

I’m sure Seymour was a stand-up guy. She probably left him because of all the mosquitoes.

Collection/Call Number/Copies: Music A-3073
Title: Way down on Tampa bay Publication Date: 1914
Copyright: MCMXIV by Jerome H. Remick & Co.Composer: Van Alstyne, Egbert, 1882-1951 Lyricist: Brown, A. Seymour, 1885-1947 Illustrator: Starmer

This document is part of the Historic American Sheet Music collection, “Way Down on Tampa Bay“, Music A-3073, Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. Thanks to you guys for preserving it! Found via American Memory at the Library of Congress.

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