Origins: There's a Soldier in the Grass

Subject: There's a Soldier in the Grass [Tune Assembly]
From: and e
Date: 05 Jan 23 - 07:45 PM

Several versions of this ditty. All to the bugle tune "Assembly".

A version by Joe_F. Date: 17 Oct 08 - 08:56 PM

There's a soldier in the grass
With a pinball up his ass.
Take it out, take it out,
Like a good Boy Scout.

There's a soldier in a tree
With a bullet up his pee.
Take it out, etc.

Another version by GUEST,Mrrzy-at-work. 07-Apr-00 - 12:08 PM

    My dad used to tell a story of the only time he was ever struck by his mom was for singing. Never heard anyone else knew this one. It would have happened in the late 20s or early 30's.

There's a german in the grass
With a bullet up his ass
Pull it out, pull it out
Boy scout!

Finally a version from from G. Legman's I Love You I really Do, Part 1 Page 346. He learned this at Boy Scout summer camp ca 1928.

There's a nigger in the grass
And he's up the Kaiser's ass --
Pull him out, Uncle Sam,
Pull him out, pull him out!

Subject: RE: Origins: There's a Soldier in the Grass
From: cnd
Date: 06 Jan 23 - 08:18 AM

When All the World Was Young by Ferrol Sams was written in 1991 but set in WWII and used a version of the song similar to Mrrzy's on p. 156.

Subject: RE: Origins: There's a Soldier in the Grass
From: Joe_F
Date: 07 Jan 23 - 05:39 PM

That should be "a version *from* [not *by*] Joe_F". I do not want to claim authorship. %^)

Subject: RE: Origins: There's a Soldier in the Grass
From: and e
Date: 22 May 23 - 07:25 AM

All you soldiers in the grass,
With your fingers in your ass,
Take 'em out, take 'em out, take 'em out.

"Assembly"

Frank A. Partridge

Text 3009, pg 161, in the Gordon "Inferno" Collection.

Available online here:

https://archive.org/details/1917gordoninfernocollection/page/n161/mode/2up?q=assembly

Subject: RE: Origins: There's a Soldier in the Grass
From: and e
Date: 22 May 23 - 07:26 AM

The texts of the Inferno date from ca 1917 to ca 1927.