The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #171634   Message #4151679
Posted By: cnd
01-Sep-22 - 08:23 AM
Thread Name: World War I songs: laundered
Subject: RE: World War I songs: laundered
There's aleady a pretty lengthy thread on the song this author seems to take the most issue with the bowdlerization of, Madamesoille de Armentieres (aka Inky Dinky Par Les Vous), but I'll add a few bits I typed out about it here.

Considering the source, there's a surprisingly bawdy version of Mademoiselle from Armentieres from a budget Hallmark release available here. I haven't compared the lyrics to those available online, so if it sounds interesting to you, I can transcribe it.

The Gordon "Inferno" Collection features what Wikipedia describes as a typical example of the impolite version (link). Given your interpretation above, this would seem likely to be similar to the version Mr. McKillipps had in mind:

September 17, 1923

INKY DINKY PARLEZ VOUS

Madamoiselle from Armenteers, parlez vous,
Mademoiselle from Armenteers, parlez vous,
Madamoiselle from Armenteers,
She hadn't been tamped for umpteen years
Inky-dinky-parlez-vous .

The general won the Croix de Guerre
And the son of a bitch was never there.

Madamoiselle from Say Paree
She had the crabs and she gave 'em to me.

The French they are a funny race
They fight with their feet and they f--- with their face.

"and then of course the stock one sung by any army in
reference to any other."

The ------- are hairing a hell of a time
Winning the war behind the line.

(or)
F------ the Waacs, behind the line.

E. S. Fowlds