I Don't Want To Get Well 1917

Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK - 24 Feb 2003

I just received an answer
to a letter that I wrote,
from a pal who marched away.
He was wounded in the trenches
somewhere in France
and I worried about him night and day.
"Are you getting well,"
was what I wrote,
this is what he answered in his note:

I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm in love with a beautiful nurse,
early ev'ry morning, night and noon,
the cutest little girlie comes
and feeds me with a spoon;
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm glad they shot me
on the fighting line, fine,
the doctor says
that I'm in bad condition,
but Oh, Oh, Oh,
I've got so much ambition,
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
for I'm having a wonderful time.

I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm in love with a beautiful nurse,
though the doctor's treatments
show results, I always get a bad relapse
each time she feels my pulse;
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm glad they shot me
on the fighting line, fine,
She holds my hand
and begs me not to leave her,
then all at once I get so full of fever,
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
for I'm having a wonderful time.

I showed this letter to a friend
who lives next door to me
and I heard him quickly say,
"Goodbye, pal, I must be going,
I'm off to war, and I hope that
I'm wounded right away,
If what's in this letter here is true,
I'll get shot and then I'll write to you:"

I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm in love with a beautiful nurse,
early ev'ry morning, night and noon,
the cutest little girlie comes
and feeds me with a spoon;
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm glad they shot me
on the fighting line, fine,
the doctor says
that I'm in bad condition,
but Oh, Oh, Oh,
I've got so much ambition,
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
for I'm having a wonderful time.

I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm in love with a beautiful nurse,
though the doctor's treatments
show results, I always get a bad relapse
each time she feels my pulse;
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
I'm glad they shot me
on the fighting line, fine,
She holds my hand
and begs me not to leave her,
then all at once I get so full of fever,
I don't want to get well,
I don't want to get well,
for I'm having a wonderful time.

Soft karaoke
Words
treble clef 1
treble clef 2
lyric line
bass
*
I Don't Want To Get Well 1917
Music by Harry Jentes
Lyrics by Howard Johnson and Harry Pease
copyright MCMXVII by Leo Feist Inc. N.Y.
sequence and karaoke by Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
on Monday 24 February 2003 at 17.17
in association with Doug Grierson
*