Jamaica Orchestra
Ricardo Montalbán
Adelaide Hall
Lena Horne
Lena Horne
Ricardo Montalbán &
Lena Horne
Lena Horne & Ricardo Montalbán
Lena Horne
Josephine Premice
Ricardo Montalbán
Lena Horne
Ossie Davis & Josephine Premice & Ricardo Montalbán
Josephine Premice
Lena Horne
Adelaide Hall
Lena Horne & Ricardo Montalbán
Lena Horne & Ricardo Montalbán
This song is from the 1957 Broadway musical Jamaica, which starred Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalban. The music was written by Harold Arlen, and the lyrics (in typically playful fashion) by E.Y. “Yip” Harburg.
The song explores the ways in which important historical figures are reduced, in time, to...
Napoleon's a pastry
Bismarck is a herring
Alexander's a crème de cacao mixed with rum
And Herbie Hoover is a vacuum
Columbus is a circle and a day off
Pershing is a square, what a pay-off
Julius Caesar is just a salad on a shelf
So, little brother, get wise to yourself
Life's a bowl and it's full of cherry pits
Play it big and it throws you for a loop
That's the way with fate, comes today, we're great
Comes tomorrow, we're tomato soup
Napoleon's a pastry
Get this under your brow
What once useta be a roosta'
Is just a dusta' now
Napoleon's a pastry
DuBarry is a lipstick
Pompadour's a hairdo
Good Queen Mary just floats along from pier to pier
Venus De Milo is a pink brassiere
Sir Gladstone is a bag, ain't it shocking?
And the mighty Kaiser, just a stocking
The Czar of Russia is now a jar of caviar
And Cleopatra is a black cigar
Yes, my honey lamb, Swift is just a ham
Lincoln's a tunnel, Coolidge is a dam
Yes, my noble lads, comes today, we're fads
Comes tomorrow, we are subway ads
Homer is just a swat
Get this under your brow
All these bigwig controversials
Are just commercials now
Better get your jug of wine
And loaf of love
Before that final vow
Napoleon's a pastry
Caesar is a salad
Get it while you're able
Napoleon was written by E. Y. Harburg & Harold Arlen.