Army song assistance?

[Walt's Daughter]

Can anyone lend their assistance???

 

Greetings!

Just found your site; it looks great. But I'm looking for a specific song and wonder if you can help/direct me.

 

My dad (Army Air Corps/AF was a Marauder) used to sing an Army song (borrowed from the Brits?) to the tune of Old King Cole.

I remember fragments only and am looking for the full lyrics. It was the sort of song that built up

in repeating verses until the final verse was something like this:

 

"I hate war" said the President,

The Army's shot to hell said the generals

Bring me boots and spurs said the shavetail

We want 10 days leave said the majors

Right by squads squads right said the sergeant

____ said the privates

 

Merry merry men are we. There's none so fair as can compare with the field artillery.

 

Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

And thank you for your great website.

 

Regards,

Karen Ljunggren

[SonofaMP]

There appears to be several versions of this song. one, located here:

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/song-midis/Old_King_Cole.htm

the lyrics:

 

Old King Cole

 

Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he,

He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl

And he called for his privates three.

"Beer! Beer! Beer!" said the privates

Merry men are we,

There's none so fair as can compare

With the Field Artillery.

 

Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he,

He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl

And he called for his corporals three.

"Hut two hut two hut" said the corporals

"Beer! beer! beer!" said the privates

Merry men are we,

There's none so fair as can compare

With the Field Artillery.

 

sergeants: "Squads to the right by threes"

shavetails: "We do all the work"

captains: "We want ten days leave"

majors: "Clean and shine my boots"

colonels: "What's my next command?"

generals: "The Army's gone to hell!"

 

last time through, all ranks say: "Beer! Beer! Beer!"

 

a couple more versions are here:

Army Song Book 1941

 

http://wwcsd.net/~lahaines/documents/cadences_001.swf?POPUP_ENABLED=true

[Walt's Daughter]

You rock, or should I say, you cadence! Doesn't quite have the same feel, does it?