Lyr Add: The Gentleman Soldier (from Dubliners)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GENTLEMAN SOLDIER (from the Dubliners
From: Ezio
Date: 16 May 98 - 03:13 AM

THE GENTLEMAN SOLDIER
As recorded by The Dubliners on "Drinkin' & Courtin'" (1968)

It's of a gentleman soldier; as a sentry he did stand.
He saluted a fair maid by a waving of his hand.
So boldly then he kissed her and he passed it off as a joke.
He drilled her up in the sentry box wrapped up in the soldier's cloak.

CHORUS:
And the drums did go with a rat-a-tat-tat and the pipes did loudly play.
Fare thee well, Polly, my dear; I must be going away.

All night they tossed and tumbled till daylight did appear.
The soldier rose, put on his clothes, said: "Fare you well, my dear,
For the drums they are a-sounding and the pipes do sweetly play.
If it weren't for that, dear Polly, then along with you I'd stay." CHORUS

"Oh, come, you gentleman soldier: won't you marry me?"
"Oh, no, my dearest Polly: such things never can be,
For I've a wife already and children I have three.
Two wives are allowed in the army, but one's too many for me. CHORUS

"If anyone comes a-courting you, you can treat them to a glass.
If anyone comes a-courting you, you can say you're a country lass.
You don't have to tell them that ever you played this joke,
That you were drilled in the sentry box wrapped up in a soldier's cloak." CHORUS

"Oh, come, you gentleman soldier: why didn't you tell me so?
My parents will be angry when this they come to know."
And when nine long months had come and passed, the poor girl she brought shame.
She had a little militia boy and she didn't know his name.

[Corrections made by a Mudelf.]

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Dubliners recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW1S7k_ivXg

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From: Bruce O.
Date: 16 May 98 - 12:29 PM

Song was collected by A. G. Gilchrist in 1907, and published with tune in JFSS 19, p. 156 (1915). Tune is also that for the Scots "Drumdelgie". Gilchrist notes that Kipling called the tune "The Sentry Box" and quoted a bit of the song in 'Soldiers Three'. Tune as Welsh is "Dydd LLun y Boreo" (Monday Morning). See "Drumdelgie" in my Irish Tunes Index for an Irish copy of 1858. [Song and tune in 'Penguin Book of English Folksongs', p. 40.]

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From: Roger Himler
Date: 16 May 98 - 12:48 PM

Is the century box, a sentry box? That's one of those tall upright little boxes where the guard (or sentry) could stand out of the weather and still guard the entrance. They look like little houses just big enough for a person to stand in.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From:
Date: 16 May 98 - 06:01 PM

The Pogues did a version of this song too.

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From: Petra A. Cosgrove
Date: 16 May 98 - 08:36 PM

I didn't post asking for the lyrics - but thank you to both Bruce and Ezio. My sweetheart and I had been racking our brains - and I couldn't remember which album/tape/CD I have it on.. ::rolls eyes::

Thanks guys! :) pei

Subject: Gentleman Soldier?
From:
Date: 08 Dec 98 - 08:21 PM

Does anyone out there have the lyrics to a song called "Gentleman Soldier" or "The Gentleman Soldier"? I once heard it performed ... oh about 5 years ago ... and remember liking it very much. Unfortunately, I can't remember much of the lyrics.

The one bit of lyrics that I do remember goes something like this:

"Oh, you gentleman soldier, won't you marry me?"
"But I'm married already, with bairns of my own, I've
been told they number three"

or something like that; it's been a while, and I had a few that evening.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yr obt svt,

J.M. Varty

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I moved this message from another thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From:
Date: 08 Dec 98 - 10:02 PM

This is the one. Thanks. It's strange, sometimes, how you can be a concert, listening to the band play a number you haven't heard before, think "this is great" and the next day not remember any of the words. Much obliged to those who revived this thread.

Yr obt svt,

J.M. Varty

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Dec 98 - 10:58 PM

Oddly enough, I found a very similar song (sans chorus) in the DT. Search for "Sentry"

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The Sentry Box

Subject: RE: LYR ADD: The gentleman soldier
From: Ezio
Date: 09 Dec 98 - 10:02 AM

To Petra:

I have this song on an old tape entitled: 'Dubliners - 20 greatest hits'

Ciao

Ezio