Rebecca Came Back From Mecca
Encyclopedia
Rebecca is a popular song, with words and music by the prolific songwriting team of Bert Kalmar
and Harry Ruby
. The song was published in 1921 by EMI Mills Music, Inc
Rebecca (Come Back from Mecca) had considerable popularity in its day. The song falls into the category "Oriental Fox-Trot," and is about the middle east, which was still somewhat mysterious to the average American. It is sung by a Jewish/yiddish dialect narrator (allowing such rhymes as Rebecca/Mecca/Turkish Terbecca - Tobacco) about a New York Jewish girl who has gone to the Middle East after starring in an "oriental show" and has now returned to New York with mysterious Eastern Ways.
The song reflects changing American culture and mores at the time it was written, and even contains a reference to then-popular silent film star Theda Bara
...
She's as bold as Theda Bara, Theda's bare but Becky's bare-er...
The song has been recorded by Monroe Silver
, The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, and more recently by Janet Klein And Her Parlor Boys.
Bert Kalmar
Bert Kalmar was a Jewish American lyricist.He was born in New York, New York. He ran away from home at the age of 10 to become a magician at a tent show, and retained an interest in magic all his life. He never got much of an education, but decided to make a career in show business...
and Harry Ruby
Harry Ruby
Harry Ruby was a Jewish American songwriter and screenwriter.After failing in his early ambition to become a professional baseball player,...
. The song was published in 1921 by EMI Mills Music, Inc
Rebecca (Come Back from Mecca) had considerable popularity in its day. The song falls into the category "Oriental Fox-Trot," and is about the middle east, which was still somewhat mysterious to the average American. It is sung by a Jewish/yiddish dialect narrator (allowing such rhymes as Rebecca/Mecca/Turkish Terbecca - Tobacco) about a New York Jewish girl who has gone to the Middle East after starring in an "oriental show" and has now returned to New York with mysterious Eastern Ways.
The song reflects changing American culture and mores at the time it was written, and even contains a reference to then-popular silent film star Theda Bara
Theda Bara
Theda Bara , born Theodosia Burr Goodman, was an American silent film actress – one of the most popular of her era, and one of cinema's earliest sex symbols. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname "The Vamp" . The term "vamp" soon became a popular slang term for a sexually predatory woman...
...
She's as bold as Theda Bara, Theda's bare but Becky's bare-er...
The song has been recorded by Monroe Silver
Monroe Silver
Monroe Silver was an American actor and singer who was also a comedian and monologist using a Jewish dialect-accent in his performances. For various record labels, he recorded 78rpm discs of parodies like Cohen on the Telephone and Cohen Phones to His Friend Levy. Lee De Forest recorded Silver...
, The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, and more recently by Janet Klein And Her Parlor Boys.