A stammering love song sung by soldiers and sailors of WW1, 1918.
words and music by Geoffrey O’Hara
This light-hearted novelty song was written in Canada by a U.S. Army song leader. When the composer’s sister got married, the sister of the groom inspired this song. Her name was Katherine “Katy” Craig Richardson. No one knows how the stuttering got into the song. It is an incidental feature included for comedy effect. The piano notes stutter, too, in the form of triplets. It was very popular during both World Wars as a good-bye song.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment track:
Lyrics
- Jimmy was a soldier brave and bold
Katy was a maid with hair of gold
Like an act of fate, Kate was standing at the gate
Watching all the boys on dress parade
Jimmy with the girls was just a gawk
Stuttered every time he tried to talk
Still that night at eight, he was there at Katy’s gate
Stuttering to her this love sick cry
Chorus
K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy
You’re the only g-g-g-girl that I adore
When the m-m-m-moon shines, over the cowshed
I’ll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door
- No one ever looked so nice and neat
No one could be just as cute and sweet
That’s what Jimmy thought, when the wedding ring he bought
Now he’s off to France the foe to meet
Jimmy thought he’d like to take a chance
See if he could make the Kaiser dance
Stepping to a tune, all about the silvery moon
This is what they hear in far off France
Sung here by Fred Feild: