Verse 1: The Dardanella blues, the Dardanella blues,
Was written just to tell the news,
About the little fellow who wrote Dardanella,
And the girl that he refused.
For when he wrote that strain, that Dardanella strain,
She said, "You'll never change my name,
'Till you write another one that's just as grand,"
So he composed this sweet refrain:

Chorus: Oh, that Dardanella Blues,
Ask the band to play it, And I'll say they won't refuse.
It's one sensation, with a jazz improvement,
The orchestration, shows up every movement.
Oh, the Dardanella Blues,
The words are simply nothing, Nothing but a good excuse.
I heard them say the bass is just a little hard to play,
But that is why, They like the Dardanella blues.

Verse 2: Now when this melody, found popularity,
It reached ev'rybody's ears,
The girl that threw him down when he wrote Dardanella,
Thought that he would go in tears,
Instead he used his wit, and wrote another hit,
And called it "Dardanella Blues,"
His girl came back and now his song is going fine,
And after all he didn't lose:

Chorus: Oh, that Dardanella Blues,
Ask the band to play it, And I'll say they won't refuse.
It's one sensation, with a jazz improvement,
The orchestration, shows up every movement.
Oh, the Dardanella Blues,
The words are simply nothing, Nothing but a good excuse.
I heard them say the bass is just a little hard to play,
But that is why, They like the Dardanella blues.