A popular song from 1917.
Words by William Herschell.
Music by Barclay Walker.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
1. He was just a long, lean country gink
From way out west where th’ hop toads wink
He was six feet two in his stockin’ feet
An’ kept gettin’ thinner th’ more he’d eat
But he was as brave as he was thin
When th’ war broke out, he got right in
Unhitched his plow, put the mule away
Then the old folks heard him say
Refrain:
Goodbye, Ma! Goodbye, Pa!
Goodbye, mule, with your old hee-haw
I may not know what th’ war’s about
But you bet, by gosh, I’ll soon find out
An’, O my sweetheart, don’t you fear
I’ll bring you a King for a souvenir
I’ll git you a Turk an’ a Kaiser, too
An’ that’s about all one feller could do
2. One pair of socks was his only load
When he struck fer town by th’ old dirt road
He went right down to th’ public square
An’ fell in line with th’ soldiers there
Th’ sergeant put him in uniform
His gal knit mitts fer to keep him warm
They drilled him hard, they drilled him long
Then he sang his farewell song