Ewan MacColl wrote this song upon Queen Elizabeth's first visit to Germany after WWII.

Regards, John

O when I was a little girl my mother used to say,
"You have a loving family not many miles away;
There's uncles, aunts and grannies, and there's second-cousins too,
And when you go to visit them they're sure to welcome you.

My granny came from Stuttgart, a fine Teutonic town,
My relatives all are royal and they're scattered all around,
In Holland, Greece and Germany, 400 souls or more -
They call me sister Lizzie since we've finished with the War.

One morning Pip he said to me, "I really think you should
Go and see the family." Mr. Wilson said I could.
So I quickly packed up 50 bags and headed for the road,
On a sentimental journey to the family abode.

When I got to the border there was sauerkraut and beer,
And a German army band played 'The British Grenadier';
3, 000 handsome police to guard my 15-wagon train,
When I stepped aboard I really knew that I was home again.

At Bonn I took up residence in the Petersberg Hotel,
Where 30 years ago, Mr. Chamberlain came to dwell;
I've police with dogs to guard me wherever I may go,
Such an open-hearted welcome do the German people show.

The family gave a banquet on the twentieth of May,
Ex-royals came from miles around their titles to display,
Four hours or more of 'let's pretend' and gobbling up cuisine,
And then we pushed the tables back and played at Kings and Queens.

Then I saw some generals, pinned medals on their chests,
Apart from christening ships, it's the work that I do best,
They may have once been beastly, but the darlings didn't win,
So I gave them decorations and they'll never do it again.

I think we should respect them I think we should be friends,
We need them for our allies, so it's time to make amends;
Let's treat them just like other folks, for surely you do know
They treated us like other folks just twenty years ago.

When I get back to London, I'll let my people know
How the welcome of the German folk has set my heart aglow;
Good-natured and kind-hearted and of well-bred family,
They're well-intentioned, simple folk, the same as you and me.

MIDI file: sentment.mid

Timebase: 96

Text: Sentimental Journey - QE2 in Germany
Tempo: 060 (1000000 microsec/crotchet)
TimeSig: 6/8 36 8
Start
0240 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 67 064 0096 0 67 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 64 064 0096 0 64 064 0000 1 65 064 0048 0 65 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 67 064 0096 0 67 064 0000 1 67 064 0096 0 67 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 72 064 0048 0 72 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 74 064 0096 0 74 064 0000 1 71 064 0048 0 71 064 0000 1 72 064 0144 0 72 064 0096 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 72 064 0048 0 72 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 71 064 0048 0 71 064 0000 1 69 064 0048 0 69 064 0000 1 69 064 0048 0 69 064 0000 1 71 064 0048 0 71 064 0000 1 71 064 0096 0 71 064 0000 1 72 064 0048 0 72 064 0000 1 74 064 0048 0 74 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 71 064 0096 0 71 064 0000 1 69 064 0024 0 69 064 0000 1 67 064 0144 0 67 064 0096 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 69 064 0096 0 69 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 69 064 0096 0 69 064 0000 1 71 064 0048 0 71 064 0000 1 72 064 0048 0 72 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 71 064 0096 0 71 064 0000 1 69 064 0048 0 69 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 64 064 0096 0 64 064 0000 1 65 064 0048 0 65 064 0000 1 62 064 0144 0 62 064 0096 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 60 064 0096 0 60 064 0000 1 60 064 0048 0 60 064 0000 1 64 064 0096 0 64 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 72 064 0048 0 72 064 0000 1 72 064 0096 0 72 064 0000 1 67 064 0096 0 67 064 0000 1 64 064 0048 0 64 064 0000 1 65 064 0096 0 65 064 0000 1 65 064 0048 0 65 064 0000 1 62 064 0096 0 62 064 0000 1 67 064 0048 0 67 064 0000 1 60 064 0144 0 60 064
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:Sentimental Journey - QE2 in Germany
M:6/8
Q:1/4=60
K:C
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dc2B2A/2G/2|-G9/2GA/2|-A3/2GA2Bc/2|-c/2c2B2AG/2|
-G/2c2E2FD/2|-D9/2GC/2|-C3/2CE2Gc/2|-c/2c2G2EF/2|
-F3/2FD2GC/2|-C9/2||