Long Boy 1917

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

He was just a long, lean country gink
from 'way out West
where th' hoptoads wink;
he was six feet two in his stockin' feet,
an' kept gittin' thinner
th' more he'd eat.
But he was as brave as he was thin,
when th' war broke out he got right in.
Unhitched his plow, put th' mule away.
Then th' old folks heard him say:

Goodbye Ma! Goodbye Pa!
Goodbye, Mule, with yer old heehaw!
I may not know what th' war's about,
but you bet, by gosh, I'll soon find out.
An', O my sweetheart, don't you fear,
I'll bring you a King
fer a souvenir;
I'll git you a Turk an' a Kaiser, too,
an' that's about all one feller could do!

One pair of socks was his only load
when he struck fer town
by th' old dirt road.
He went right down to th' public square
an' fell in line with th' soldiers there.
Th' sergeant put him in uniform,
his gal knit mits fer to keep him warm;
they drill'd him hard,
they drill'd him long,
then he sang his farewell song!

Goodbye Ma! Goodbye Pa!
Goodbye, Mule, with yer old heehaw!
I may not know what th' war's about,
but you bet, by gosh, I'll soon find out.
An', O my sweetheart, don't you fear,
I'll bring you a King
fer a souvenir;
I'll git you a Turk an' a Kaiser, too,
an' that's about all one feller could do!

Soft karaoke
Words
treble clef 1
treble clef 2
lyric line
bass
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Long Boy 1917
Music by Barclay Walker
Lyrics by William Herschell
copyright MCMXVII by Wm. Herschell and Barclay Walker
sequence and karaoke by Dr. Pitt-Payne in London UK
on Monday 24 February 2003 at 18.53
in association with Doug Grierson
*