Mammy's Chocolate Soldier 1918

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
2006

Pickaninny cute in his khaki suit
wanted to join the kiddies playing soldier,
as a new recruit,
because his skin was brown,
the white kids turned him down,
so he ran home crying to his Mammy,
saddest little kid in town.
Mammy drove his tears away,
when he heard her say:

Come and lay your kinky head
on mammy's shoulder,
don't you cry
you're Mammy's little chocolate soldier,
And a soldier can't be crying
even though he thinks he's dying,
so stop those tears from running down
your little cheeks of choc'late brown.
Come and let these loving arms of mammy hold you,
try to be a soldier
like your mammy told you.
Though your skin is dark as night,
I know your little pickanniny heart is white
and you'll always be your Mammy's choc'late soldier.

Come and lay your kinky head
on mammy's shoulder,
don't you cry
you're Mammy's little chocolate soldier,
And a soldier can't be crying
even though he thinks he's dying,
so stop those tears from running down
your little cheeks of choc'late brown.
Come and let these loving arms of mammy hold you,
try to be a soldier
like your mammy told you.
Though your skin is dark as night,
I know your little pickanniny heart is white
and you'll always be your Mammy's choc'late soldier.

Years have passed away
Mammy old and grey,
stands in the crowd to watch the soldiers
as they bravely march away,
and her heart fills with joy
for when she sees her boy,
he is really Mammy's choc'late soldier,
and his gun is not a toy.
Mammy thinks of long ago,
and sings soft and low:

Come and lay your kinky head
on mammy's shoulder,
don't you cry
you're Mammy's little chocolate soldier,
And a soldier can't be crying
even though he thinks he's dying,
so stop those tears from running down
your little cheeks of choc'late brown.
Come and let these loving arms of mammy hold you,
try to be a soldier
like your mammy told you.
Though your skin is dark as night,
I know your little pickanniny heart is white
and you'll always be your Mammy's choc'late soldier.

Come and lay your kinky head
on mammy's shoulder,
don't you cry
you're Mammy's little chocolate soldier,
And a soldier can't be crying
even though he thinks he's dying,
so stop those tears from running down
your little cheeks of choc'late brown.
Come and let these loving arms of mammy hold you,
try to be a soldier
like your mammy told you.
Though your skin is dark as night,
I know your little pickanniny heart is white
and you'll always be your Mammy's choc'late soldier.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Mammy's Chocolate Soldier 1918
Music by Archie Gottler
Lyrics by Sidney D.Mitchell
© MCMXVIII by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co.  N.Y.
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Tuesday 05 September 2006 at 11.11am
in association with Doug Grierson
*