PART II

SONGS AND PARODIES

LONG, LONG TRAIL

(_Air: There's a Long Trail_)

There's a long, long trail before us, Into No-Man's land in France, Where the shrapnel shells are bursting, And we must advance.

There'll be lots of drill and hiking, Before our dreams all come true, But some day we'll show the Germans, How the Yankees come through.

WILLIE'S PA

(_Air: Solomon Levi_)

I

O, Willie Jones's fond mamma brought him to Plattsburg town, To see his father at the Camp go marching up and down; And Willie grew excited as the band began to play, And when he saw his papa march, the people heard him say:

(Chorus)

"O, look at him, Ma-ma, ain't he simply grand? See the way he holds his gun and swings his other hand. The Captain's walking up in front, and now he's calling 'hep,' And everyone but my papa is marching out of step."

II

O, Willie Jones, he loved to see the soldiers marching by, He went down to the target range to see the bullets fly, And every time they made a shot, he cried "Ain't that a beaut!" And clapped his hands in glee to see his papa start to shoot.

(Chorus)

"O, look at him, Ma-ma, see him hold his gun, And every time he shoots it off it hits him on the bun. He puts his hand around the thing and gives an awful pull, The red flag there is waving, O! it must have been a bull."

COMPANY 2 NEW ENGLAND

(_Air: "Lord Geoffry Amherst"_)

Oh, good old Uncle Sam declared a war on Kaiser Bill, When, his pledges "Bill" neglected to fulfill; And the War Department ordered that a training camp should be, So they sent us up to Plattsburg, don't you see? So they sent us up to Plattsburg, don't you see? And the men from all New England came along and gathered there, And the companies they chose with greatest care. But out of all the candidates selected but a few To organize New England Number 2.

(Chorus)

Oh, Captain Peek and Company Two They'll be names known to fame the whole world o'er. They will ever be glorious When the Hohenzollerns reign no more.

TO THE RESERVE CAVALRY

(_Air: The Infantry, the Infantry, with Dirt Behind Their Ears_)

I

The Cavalry, the Cavalry, they haven't any horse, They're taking riding lessons by a correspondence course, You'd think they were equestrians to hear the way they talk, But when it comes to riding, why! We always see them walk.

II

The Cavalry, the Cavalry, are marching down the street, The Cavalry, the Cavalry, with blisters on their feet, The Artillery is mounted now and ready for the course; But we never see the Cavalry with any kind of horse.

WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO DEUTSCHLAND

(_Air: Hit the Line for Harvard_)

We're on our way to Deutschland, We're Yankees through and through, And we'll show the Huns of Germ'ny What the U. S. A. can do. With France and Old England, Victory or die; And we'll give a rousing cheer, boys, As the allied flags go by.

I WANT TO BE A COLONEL

(_Air: I Want to Be Back Home in Dixie_)

I want to be, I want to be, I want to be at least a Colonel, Have the Majors handing me salutes, and a man to black my boots. I want to be, I want to be, at least a Colonel, C-O-L-O-N-E-L, Hold down a desk and give the captains Hell. I want to be, I want to be, I want to be a Colonel _now_!

I WANT TO BE A DOUGHBOY

(_Air: I Want to Be a Yale Boy_)

I want to be a doughboy, Doughboy tried and true; I want to be a doughboy, With a hat cord of baby blue. I want to be a doughboy, Do as the doughboys do; So, papa, if I can When I get to be a man, I want to be a doughboy, too.

OUR BATTLE HYMN

(Air: "Battle Hymn of the Republic")

I

We have heard a lot about a place they call "Somewhere in France," And we're going "Over There" to put some pep in the advance; "There's a long, long trail before us," but you bet we'll take the chance, As Five goes marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, for we're going to beat the Hun, Old Hindenburg will execute a new strategic run, And Kaiser Bill will find he has no place beneath the sun, When Five goes marching on.

II

We are handy with the rifle and the bayonet and such; And though Fritz is used to running and is sort of hard to touch, We will show him when we get there that it doesn't matter much, When Five is marching on.

(Chorus)

III

You may say that we're not modest, but our faults we will confess, We hate to rise at Reveille, we're not too fond of mess; And we never, never, never get a good line at Right Dress, But we do keep marching on.

(Chorus)

IV

Now all you other fellows who are going overseas, Just remember that we guarantee the foeman to appease; So when you hear we're coming you may rest or stand at ease, When Five goes marching on.

(Chorus)

NEW ENGLAND WILL BE LEADING

(_Air: John Brown's Body_)

New England will be leading when we're marching up the Rhine, New York will be the rear guard and we'll leave them far behind, We'll conquer German cities and we'll capture Kaiser Bill, As we go marching on. Glory, glory to New England! Glory, glory to New England! Glory, glory to New England! As we go marching on.

ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER RHINE

(_Air: "Through Those Wonderful Glasses of Mine"_)

Germany, we're coming over, we are going straight to France; We are praying for a chance, Just to make your soldiers dance. Kaiser Bill, your doom is coming; take a tip, old top, RESIGN! For we'll drink beer in June, By the light of the moon, On the banks of the River Rhine.

"THE SIMULATING OF THE GREEN"

(_Air: "Wearing of the Green"_)

Oh, Major dear, and did you hear the news that's going round? We Cavalry must simulate till horses can be found; We gallop and we single-foot as handsome as can be, But on our own two feet we ride--a horse you'll never see. 'Tis the most amazing spectacle that's ever graced the green; A hundred men a-riding where no horses can be seen.

Oh, Colonel dear, ye'll grieve to hear Artillery's the same, Compared to simulating guns, a horse is rather tame; Last night I was the left rear wheel--it made me moighty sore, But dommed if I will be the swab and crawl inside the bore. 'Tis the most amazing spectacle that's ever graced the green, A-firing rounds and salvos where no cannons can be seen.

DON'T SEND ME HOME

(_Air: Don't Take Me Home_)

Don't send me home, please don't send me home. Tell me, where did I make that break? Oh, oh, oh, oh, have a little pity. I'm a poor candidate, in search of war I roam. I'll do anything you want me to, but don't Send me home.

COMPANY NINE

(_Air: "Far Above Cayuga's Water"_)

Hark, ye Rookies, to the chorus Of old Company Nine; Captains, Colonels, all adore us, When we fall in line. Tho' we're doughboys, we're not slow boys, Thanks to Sargeant Hill; And when we take our stand in Deutschland, Lord help Kaiser Bill!

In the morning at the warning, "Clothes on Company Nine!" Feeling rocky, into khaki Jumps our valiant line. We shun strawberries in the valley Off the Peru road, But in mess shack none can beat us At the order "Load!"

In Pabst-less Plattsburg, bone-dry rookies, Waiting for our kale, Our healths we drink in foamless bumpers, Full of Adam's ale. But when the "Sammies" take their Muenchener On the river Rhine, The toast will be to old New England And to Company Nine.

WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO EUROPE

(_Air: "My Wife's Away in Europe"_)

We're on our way to Europe, And we won't come back. And we won't come back. We're going to shoot an awful pill Into the hide of Kaiser Bill. Von Hindenburg can't stop us; We laugh at him, hee! hee! We've shot the pistol twice before, Can't hit the side of a barn door. We're on our way to Europe To lay Bill cross our knee.

COMPANY 5 SONG

(_Original Music by Mr. H. T. Morgan_)

1

On guard! We're always on our toes; Plattsburg has taught us pep. We're good at being Red or Blue, But oh, that step! Though we may lose a few patrols, Just watch the Allied drive. Right where they reach the Rhine, there You'll find New England Five.

2

Forward! We're on our way to France; We'll make it hot for Fritz. With bayonet or rifle, Watch us score all hits. Heads up! We're after Hindenburg, We'll show him we're alive; When we get through with him, he Will know New England Five.

DOUBLE TIME

(_Air: Tammany_)

Double time, double time! We're the boys with running feet, And we never mind the heat. Double time, double time! Battr'y three, you always see at Double time.

Double time, double time! On the run we always keep, We even do it in our sleep. Double time, double time! When we eat our food goes down at Double time.

Double time, double time! Always jump and run like Hell, Faster than a British shell. Double time, double time! Boche can't hit us, for we move at Double time.

Double time, double time! It's the surest road to fame, If you live and don't get lame. Double time, double time! Hammond's favorite outdoor sport is Double time.

THE 8TH NEW ENGLAND

(_Air: Michael Roy_)

The Eighth New England Infantry is the one that shows them how; If Kaiser Bill could see us drill, the war would be over now. Out in front of the Hostess House, as we go marching by Where the ladies are sitting, they drop their knitting, and all begin to cry: "For oh! For oh! What a wonderful company! It must be either the General Staff or Company 8 N. E."

If Elihu Root could see us shoot out on the rifle range He'd send us to Russia to help lick Prussia--oh, what a glorious change! If General Pershing could hear us cursing the whistle that blows too soon, There'd be a decree that reveille would come in the afternoon. "For oh! For oh! What a wonderful company! It must be either the General Staff or Company 8 N. E."

MARCHING ON THE RHINE

(_Air: Rocky Road to Dublin_)

When marching on the Rhine, boys, We'll be singing this song As we're marching along. When marching on the Rhine, boys, On our hunt for Kaiser Bill, We'll shoot the Germans out of France, We'll keep them on the run; When we get there the world will know, New England has begun, To fight for Uncle Sammy. We'll do our best, And never will rest, Until Old Glory rises to the sun. Over the sea, boys, Over the sea to Victory, New England will fight on forever.

EGGS--AGERATED

Since I've come to Plattsburg I've eaten so many eggs, That feathers now adorn my skin, And spurs are on my legs.

WITH APOLOGIES TO KIPLING'S "THE VAMPIRE"

A fool there was, and he made his prayer, (Even as you and I) Tho't he would hold down a colonel's chair, So he came up here to do and dare, But the skipper decided he wasn't there, (Even as you and I).

Oh, the days we waste, and the pay we waste, And the work of our hands and feet Belong to the days we did not know, (And now we know we never could know) Enough to stand still at retreat.

Oh, the sleep we lost and the weight we lost, And the things we had to eat Can never come back to make us want, (We hope they can't and pray they sha'n't) If they did we'd admit we were beat.

The fool was stripped to his foolish hide, (Even as you and I) And they wouldn't let him be rear guide, (So some of him lived, but the most of him died) And he stayed a "rookie" just outside (Even as you and I).

_FINIS_

_There's a lot that's pretty funny in the life we lead up here, The problems and the hikin' and the mess; But sometimes when I'm all alone I get a little blue, And that's the way with everyone, I guess._

_I often sit and wonder what it's really all about, And what the end of all this will be; It seems almost impossible that we will be at war, And see the things a soldier has to see._

_It's something more than just parade and something more than drill, And something more than hiking in the rain. It means that lots of friends we've made are going over seas, And some of them will not come back again._

_There's not a single man of us who really wants to fight, And maybe die somewhere in France--but then, It's war, and since it must be done, we'll try to do it right. God willing, we'll acquit ourselves like men._

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note:

Table of Contents: The page numbering in the Table of Contents is off by one beginning with THE CALL which the Table of Contents indicates should be on page 73. It actually begins on the next page. By the end of the book the page numbering is off by two. The final poem "Finis" is on page 138. These numbers have been retained as printed.

Closing quotes were added to both stanzas of the poem "THE 8TH NEW ENGLAND" which begins on page 132.