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Released in 1995

The Sheik Of Araby

Written by Ted SnyderHarry B. SmithFrancis Wheeler

Last updated on December 3, 2016


Album This song officially appears on the Anthology 1 Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1995

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

From Wikipedia:

The Sheik of Araby” is a song that was written in 1921 by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler, with music by Ted Snyder. It was composed in response to the popularity of the Rudolph Valentino feature film The Sheik. In 1926, to go with the film The Son of the Sheik, Ted Snyder worked parts of the melody into “That Night in Araby“, a related song with words by Billy Rose.

The Sheik of Araby” was a Tin Pan Alley hit, and was also adopted by early jazz bands, especially in New Orleans, making it a jazz standard. It was a well recognized part of popular culture. A verse also appears in the novel The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In 1926, Fleischer Studios released a cartoon with this song, recorded in Phonofilm, as part of their Song Car-Tunes series, and a live action short with this title was filmed in Phonofilm in the UK, directed by Miles Mander.

The “Araby” in the title refers to Arabia or the Arabian Peninsula. The appeal to New Orleans bands may have lain in “Araby” sharing the same pronunciation as Arabi, Louisiana, a town downriver from New Orleans’ 9th Ward and a center for gambling just outside city limits until the early 1950s. […]

From The Beatles Bible:

The Beatles recorded a version of The Sheik Of Araby, a vaudeville song from 1922, during their unsuccessful audition for Decca Records on 1 January 1962.

The group based their arrangement on a rock ‘n’ roll version released by Joe Brown and The Bruvvers in 1961. George Harrison was a big fan of Brown, and sang lead vocals on The Beatles’ version.


Lyrics

Well I'm the Sheik of Araby

Your love belongs to me

Well at nights when you're asleep

Into your tent I'll creep


Not 'alf


The stars that shine above

Will light our way to love

And you'll rule this world with me

I'm the Sheik of Araby


Well I'm the Sheik of Araby

Your love belongs to me

Whoa, at nights when you're asleep

Into your tent I'll creep


A-ha


The stars that shine above

Will light our way to love

You'll rule this world with me

I'm the Sheik of Araby

Well I'm the Sheik of Araby

Well I'm the Sheik of Araby

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Live performances

The Sheik Of Araby” has been played in 2 concerts.

Latest concerts where “The Sheik Of Araby” has been played


Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012

This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.

The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.

Read our exclusive interview with Luca Perasi

Buy on Amazon

Paul McCartney writing

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Louis • 5 years ago

Danny and Dena Gugulmie recorded on their album of the 50's that same song, check out the record.


The PaulMcCartney Project • 5 years ago

Thanks Louis ! Will need to listen to this version !


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