I think I'd include the text from the Traditional Ballad Index.
Hey, you guys, please remember that music threads are considered sacred around here - moving them into "BS" ain't kosher.
-Joe Offer-

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Girl Volunteer, The (The Cruel War Is Raging) [Laws O33]

DESCRIPTION: (Johnny) has been ordered off to war. His sweetheart begs to go with him. He refuses her; military service would fade her beauty. She offers to buy his release; this too fails. (In some versions Johnny relents and allows her to come.)
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Brown)
KEYWORDS: war soldier separation love cross-dressing
FOUND IN: US(Ap,SE,So)
REFERENCES (13 citations):
Laws O33, "The Girl Volunteer"
Belden, pp. 177-180, "Lisbon" (3 texts, of which this is the third, to which Belden does not assign a letter; the first two are "William and Nancy (I) (Lisbon; Men's Clothing I'll Put On I)" [Laws N8])
Randolph 44, "Johnny Must Fight" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 94-95, "Johnny Must Fight" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 44B)
BrownII 100, "The Girl Volunteer" (1 text)
BrownSchinhanIV 100, "The Girl Volunteer" (2 excerpts, 2 tunes)
Owens-2ed, pp. 77-78, "I Was Standing on Pickets" (1 text, 1 tune)
SharpAp 113, "The Warfare is Raging" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
Combs/Wilgus 109, pp. 178-179, "I'm Going to Join the Army" (1 text)
Fuson, p. 104, "Johnny" (1 text)
Silber-FSWB, p. 272, "The Cruel War Is Raging" (1 text)
Darling-NAS, pp. 131-132, "May I Go With You, Johnny?" (1 text)
DT 487, CRUELWAR* CRUELWR2*
Roud #401
RECORDINGS:
Louise Foreacre, "The War Is A-Raging" (on Stonemans01)
Aunt Polly Joines, "The Warfare is A-Raging" (on Persis1)
Pete Steele, "The War Is A-Ragin' For Johnny" (on PSteele01)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Manchester Angel"
cf. "Jack Monroe" [Laws N7]
cf. "William and Nancy (I) (Lisbon; Men's Clothing I'll Put On I)" [Laws N8]
cf. "The Banks of the Nile (Men's Clothing I'll Put On II)" [Laws N9]
cf. "High Germany (I)"
cf. "Oh! No, No" (theme: sweetheart tries to convince soldier to let her accompany him)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Cruel War
NOTES: The Combs version of this song contains a reference to Pensacola -- the port from which many American troops set out for Cuba during the Spanish-American war (1898). The song is clearly much older than that, however. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.5
File: LO33

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