American Old Time Song Lyrics: 15 The Constantinople Countess

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 15

The Constantinople Countess.

My friends, your sympathy bestow
On this poor man before you,
And hear his tale so full of woe,
And 'tisn't long he'll bore you.
To this sad plight he's now reduced,
Though once he felt ambition's flames;
For once he loved a countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.

Chorus.
C O N, and a Con, S T A N, and a Stan,
And a Constan, T I N, and a Constantin,
N O, and a No, and a Constantino,
P U L L, and a pull, Constantinople.

I only was a merchant's clerk,
But I lived middling well tho';
I met her in the Regent's Park,
Her name I wished as well-so
I soon found out the lady's maid,
And thus did quickly ascertain
The lady was a countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.-Chorus.

I met my charmer at the ball,
And forthwith was presented;
And down before her I did fall,
A scheme long since invented.
I swore, like any German prince,
That countess should bear my name;
And accepted I was by that countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.-Chorus.

Now there was a girl called Betty Back,
Who I was long engaged to,
She very soon gave me the "sack,"
And was very much enraged, too.
She said she'd heard such tales of me,
And knew full well my "little game"
Was to marry this same countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.-Chorus.

I spent and squandered all my cash
To gain her approbation;
For the countess she cut such a dash,
She was far above my station.
I found out what a rogue she was,
And not a stranger to that game;
I was done "brown" by that countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.-Chorus. '

So now you see how I've been served,
Through one so much above me;
Though the punishment I have deserved,
And no one else will love me.

Oh, what a happy man I'd been,
Had Betty Back but took my name,
And I'd ne'er seen that countess, who
From the Turkish country came;
Constantinople, Constantinople,
Constantinople, that countess came.-Chorus.