DESCRIPTION:
Here is a little prohibition era ditty from 1919 combining the interests of the day in everything Arabia and the jabs at social reform. The great ragtime era and show tune composer Jean Schwartz has a great old novelty number the likes of which Zez Confrey seems to excel at.

Zez inserts his novelty piano tricks into this number to transport you back to the desert kingdoms and silent film era of the late teens and early 20's.

Enjoy ! The lyrics follow:

SAHARA, NOW WE'RE DRY LIKE YOU
(Alfred Bryan / Jean Schwartz)
Esther Walker


King Ram-e-ses went to pieces seven thousand years ago
And passed a law that Egypt must go dry.
He took the liquors from the slickers all the way to Jerico
But kept a little toddy on the sly.
The desert of Sahara flowed with honey, so they say,
Till prohibition came along and dried it up one day.

Sahara, we sympathize with you.
Sahara, now we're dry like you.
I know why Cleopatra put that snake against her skin.
She lost her mind completely when she lost her Gordon's Gin.
Omar Khyam took a leap into his caravan.
He took his wine glass, and away he flew.
And ever since,
All those Egyptians move their funny arms so queer.
They got that way
From reaching for imaginary steins of beer.
Sahara, Sahara, now we're dry like you.

I know just why Rebecca took her little pitcher to the well.
That old well just was camouflaging for a lager beer hotel.
Sahara, Sahara, now we're dry like you.
I've got the old Sahara prohibition blues.