a 1922 popular song
lyrics by Elsie Janis
melody by Carey Morgan and Arthur Swanstrom
arranged by Charles N. Grant
There was a problem of underpayment and unemployment for the soldiers after World War 1. A promise of a $60 bonus didn’t materialize until 1945. See also Soldier Blues and I’ve Got Those Bonus Blues.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment:
Lyrics
- When you hear them shout and they rave about
All they’re going to give you
When you’re thinking of the job you’re gonna choose
When you figure that you’ll be nice and fat
Cause the government’s with you
Then you’re getting those bonus blues - When you think that you haven’t much to do
Only act like a hero
Then you shoot your last dime craps and then you lose
When the coat is gone with the watch in pawn
And it registers zero
Then you’re getting those bonus blues
Chorus
When your uniform has lost it’s charm
And you want to go back to some farm
Just forget your shiny pants
Think about the Madamoiselle back in France
You’ve got those bonus blues
Chorus
When you want to sit right down and sob
And you’d give your eye tooth for a job
Though you haven’t got a chance
Think about the days you spent in Sunny France
You’ve got those bonus blues
Sung here by Fred Feild: