Origins: Hangin' on the Old Barbed Wire

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: Hangin' on Old Barbed Wire
From: AndyG
Date: 22 Apr 97 - 02:51 PM

I've finally got round to sorting this out, I've put the words on my web site.
Point your browser to:

http://www/anglia.ac.uk/~operag/music/songs.html

then select "WWI Medley 3"
I've put the words for "If the Sergeant Steals Your Rum" on the same page, it's a song in a very similar vein.

All text taken from The Long Trail, John Brophy & Eric Partridge (Sphere Books 1969) no ISBN I'm afraid. The words are certainly not definitive but have the advantage of being collected/remembered by active participants in WWI. The first publication (censored) being in 1931.

Subject: Lyr Add: HANGIN' ON THE OLD BARBED WIRE^^
From: Matt Robson
Date: 20 Apr 97 - 12:01 PM

Try:

If you want to see the (a) I know where he is, I know where he is, I know where he is If you want to see the (a) I know where he is, he's (b) I saw him, I saw him (b), I saw him (b)

(a) General (b) Sitting in the Follies Bergere

(a) Colonel (b) Pinning another medal on his chest

(a) Captain (b) Home again on seven days' leave

(a) Quartermaster (b) Pinching all the company's rum

(a) Sergeant (b) Drunk upon the dugout floor

(a) Private (b) Hangin' on the old barbed wire ^^

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: Hangin' on Old Barbed Wire
From: Bo Vandenberg
Date: 09 Apr 97 - 10:16 AM

I've alwasy sung:

General: Folli Ber Gere Colonel: Knocking up the adjutants wife Sargent: Diddling the Company Rum Private: hanging on the old barbed wire

I usually used it to progress from the ridiculous the the very real.

Subject: Hangin' on Old Barbed Wire^^
From:
Date: 09 Apr 97 - 08:50 AM

Hi here's the verses I remember at the moment, I think the text's in Brophy & Partridge, so I'll check tonight and see if I can get more verses.

I believe this is an HTML text thingy so I hope the following tagged stuff reads properly.

If you want to find the Sergeant,
I know where he is,
I know where he is,
I know where he is.
If you want to find the Sergeant,
I know where he is,
He's drunk on the dug-out floor.

Ch.

I saw him,
I saw him,
Drunk on the Dug-out floor,
I saw him,
Drunk on the dug-out floor.

If you want to find the Captain
He's off on a seven-day leave

If you want to find the Colonel
He's pinning another medal on his chest

If you want the old battalion,
we know where they are,
we know where they are,
we know where they are.
If you want the old battalion,
we know where they are,
They're hangin' on the old barbed wire.

We've seen them,
We've seen them,
Hangin' on the old barbed wire,
We've seen them,
hangin' on the old barbed wire.

AndyG ^^ (Oct 98)

Subject: RE: Lyrics req: Hangin' on Old Barbed Wire
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Apr 97 - 11:12 AM

Hi Holly- Interesting song. Lomax (American Ballads and Folk Songs) lists it, but without the barbed wire verse (his privates were up to something or other in mud. I first heard the barbed wire verse in the the early 60's.

That said, I'll go searching to see if I can answer your question. I like this forum--sort of an instant Song Finder.

Subject: Lyrics req: Hangin' on Old Barbed Wire
From: Holly Tannen
Date: 05 Apr 97 - 11:56 PM

Hi gang!

I've decided I want to start singing HANGING ON THE OLD BARBED WIRE, a World War One song, again, but I'm having trouble remembering the sequence ( never having been in the army). If you're looking for the general...major... captain...sergeant, etc Anyone got a version of the whole thing? Thanks - Holly