East is east and west is west
And the wrong one I have chose
Let’s go where I’ll keep on wearin’
Those frills and flowers and buttons and bows
Rings and things and buttons and bows
Don’t bury me in this prairie
Take me where the cement grows
Let’s move down to some big town
Where they love a gal by the cut o’ her clothes
And I’ll stand out in buttons and bows
I’ll love you in buckskin or skirts that I’ve homespun
But I’ll love ya’ longer, stronger where yer friends don’t tote a
gun
My bones denounce the buckboard bounce
And the cactus hurts my toes let’s vamoose where gals keep usin’
Those silks and satin and linen that shows
And I’m all yours in buttons and bows
Gimme eastern trimmin’ where women are women
In high silk hose and peek-a-boo clothes
And French perfume that rocks the room
And I’m all yours in buttons and bows
From an interview with Bob Hope in 1978 for the Chicago Sun-Times:
‘Sometimes, though, a foreign audience will do something amazing, really
make you feel at home. We played in Osaka, Japan, in 1950, for example.
And "Paleface" had just been released over there, and was a big success,
with that hit song in it that I sing, "Buttons and Bows." They had the record
for sale in Japanese. And at Osaka, I started the number, and all the Japanese
came in on "Buttons and Bows" every time. We fell down, it was so unexpected.
They didn't know the rest of the English lyrics, but they could do "buttons
and bows."’
