Ragtime Soldier Man 1912

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 16 Dec 2006
2006

My lovin' baby, my lovin' baby,
you better dry your eyes
and don't be grievin'
you got to stop it,
you better drop it,
I told you once before
I've got to go to war;
Now don't you worry,
I've got to hurry,
because the regiment
will soon be leavin'
don't you feel blue,
because I'm goin' off to war.

I've got to go, I've got to go,
a soldier man I've got to be,
I've got to go, I've got to go,
I hear the bugle calling me,
Oh, my Hon' hurry up, hurry up,
get my gun, hurry up, hurry up,
can't you see that
I've got to fight for love
and liberty.
My honey dear, my honey dear,
you better save your sympathy,
if you should hear,
if you should hear,
I got too near the enemy,
kindly carry me back to old Virginia
and when you get me there
say a prayer
for your ragtime soldier man.

I've got to go, I've got to go,
a soldier man I've got to be,
I've got to go, I've got to go,
I hear the bugle calling me,
Oh, my Hon' hurry up, hurry up,
get my gun, hurry up, hurry up,
can't you see that
I've got to fight for love
and liberty.
My honey dear, my honey dear,
you better save your sympathy,
if you should hear,
if you should hear,
I got too near the enemy,
kindly carry me back to old Virginia
and when you get me there
say a prayer
for your ragtime soldier man.

The time is flying,
I'm kind of sighing,
'cause I must say goodbye
to my home cooking,
there's no denying,
I leave you crying
but don't you worry Hon'
as long as I can run;
They'll never find me,
they'll be behind me,
but if they shoot me, dear,
while I'm not looking
if so, you'll know
that I was wounded coming home.

I've got to go, I've got to go,
a soldier man I've got to be,
I've got to go, I've got to go,
I hear the bugle calling me,
Oh, my Hon' hurry up, hurry up,
get my gun, hurry up, hurry up,
can't you see that
I've got to fight for love
and liberty.
My honey dear, my honey dear,
you better save your sympathy,
if you should hear,
if you should hear,
I got too near the enemy,
kindly carry me back to old Virginia
and when you get me there
say a prayer
for your ragtime soldier man.

I've got to go, I've got to go,
a soldier man I've got to be,
I've got to go, I've got to go,
I hear the bugle calling me,
Oh, my Hon' hurry up, hurry up,
get my gun, hurry up, hurry up,
can't you see that
I've got to fight for love
and liberty.
My honey dear, my honey dear,
you better save your sympathy,
if you should hear,
if you should hear,
I got too near the enemy,
kindly carry me back to old Virginia
and when you get me there
say a prayer
for your ragtime soldier man.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano
piano
piano
piano
*
Ragtime Soldier Man 1912
Words & Music by Irving Berlin
© 1912 by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co.
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Saturday 16 December 2006 at 10.01pm
in association with Doug Grierson
*