Lyr Add: I'm Asking You Sergeant, Where's Mine?

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M ASKING YOU SERGEANT, WHERE'S MINE?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Oct 10 - 03:15 PM

Perhaps a few corrections to the Connolly song-

I'm Asking You, Sergeant, Where's Mine?

I'm lyin' in bed, I'm in room twenty-six
Thinkin' on things that i've done
Like drinkin' wi' squaddies and bullin' my boots
I'm countin' the medals i've won.

These hospital wards they're all drab lookin' joints
But the ceiling's as much as I can see
It could do with a wee touch of paper or paint
But then again, maybe that's me.

Chorus:
Oh, sergeant, is this the adventure you meant
When I put my name down on the line
All that talk of computers and sunshine and skis
Oh, I'm askin' you, sergeant, where's mine.

I've a brother in Glasgow wi' long, curly hair
When I joined up he said I was daft
He says shootin' strangers *is nae his game *just is'na
That brother of mine is'na saft.

But I can put up wi' most things I've done in the time
I can even put up with the pains
But what do you do wi' a gun in your hand
When you're faced with a hundred odd wanes.

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: buddhuu
Date: 08 Oct 10 - 04:15 PM

Or "weans", perhaps...

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 08 Oct 10 - 05:52 PM

The tune is, of course, a variant of "Fareweel Tae the Creeks", by Pipe Major James Robertson of Banff, which is the tune Hamish Henderson used for "The 51st Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily", and the original tune is what is used for the bit shown as la-la above, though when I sing it, I use "hi-heederum, hoderum" as in canntaireachd.

Subject: DT Corr: I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 01:36 AM

We have a lot of disagreement on the lyrics of this song. It's clear that the transcription in the Digital Tradition needs work but what do we replace it with? Can we come up with a definitive transcription and post it here?
-Joe-

---

I'm going to do something dangerous to life and limb and post MY transcription of the Dubliners recording, (which is based on the transcription above by Mick Lowe, as well as the many other transcriptions above). More accurately, it's a composite of all the transcriptions above, not the work of any one of us.

And since Little John Cameron and Murray said "weans", I'm saying "weans."
I'm not decided on "is nae saft" or "is'na saft" - which is better?

I gather from other posts that Billy Connolly is singing lead on the Dubliners recording.
Any corrections?
-Joe-

---

I'M ASKING YOU SERGEANT, WHERE'S MINE?
(Billy Connolly)

I'm lying in bed, I'm in room 26,
Thinking on things that I've done;
Like drinking with squaddies and bulling my boots,
And counting the medals I've won.
These hospital wards, they're all drab-looking joints,
But the ceiling's as much as I see;
They could do with a wee touch o' paper or paint,
But then again maybe that's me.

CHORUS:
Oh sergeant, is this the adventure you meant
When I put my name down on the line?
All that talk of computers and sunshine and skis,
All I'm asking you, sergeant, where's mine?

I've a brother in Glasgow with long, curly hair,
When I joined up he said I was daft;
He says shooting strangers just is nae his game,
That brother of mine is nae saft.
But I can put up with most things I've done in my time,
I can even put up with the pains;
But what do you do with a gun in your hand,
When you're faced with a hundred-odd weans?

CHORUS (three times):
Oh sergeant, is this the adventure you meant
When I put my name down on the line?
All that talk of computers and sunshine and skis,
All I'm asking you, sergeant, where's mine?


From the Dubliners CD, Thirty Years A-Greying

The tune is a variant of "Fareweel Tae the Creeks", by Pipe Major James Robertson of Banff, which is the tune Hamish Henderson used for "The 51st Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily."

@Army @Scottish

filename[ SARGWHER

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 04:03 AM

I'm not too keen on the version he sings with the Dubliners - it's a bit anglicized.

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 02:42 PM

The Balladeers have lyrics to this and many other songs. Dunno which version is the 'correctest'.

I'm Asking You

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 02:46 PM

Balladeers-
http://www.theballadeers.com/lyrics_12.htm

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WILLING CONSCRIPT (Tom Paxton)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 03:14 PM

THE WILLING CONSCRIPT
(Tom Paxton)

Oh sergeant I'm a draftee and I've just arrived in camp
I've come to wear the uniform and join the martial tramp
And I want to do my duty but one thing I do implore
You must give me lessons sergeant for I've never killed before

To do my job obediently is my only desire
To learn my weapon thoroughly and how to aim and fire
To learn to kill the enemy and then to slaughter more
I'll need instruction sergeant for I've never killed before

Now there are rumors in the camp about our enemy
They say that when you see him he looks just like you and me
But you deny it sergeant and you are a man of war
You must give me lessons sergeant for I've never killed before

Now there are several lessons that I haven't mastered yet
I haven't got the hang of how to use that bayonet
If he doesn't die at once am I to stick it with him more
I hope you will be patient for I've never killed before

And a hand grenade is something that I just don't understand
You've got to throw it quickly or you're apt to lose your hand
Does it blow a man to pieces with its wicked muffled roar
I've got so much to learn because I've never killed before

I want to thank you sergeant for the help you've been to me
You taught me how to kill and how to hate the enemy
And I know that I'll be ready when they march me off to war
I know that it won't matter that I've never killed before

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 04:48 PM

Billy wrote the song after seeing an Irish TV Docu re British soldiers in Northern Ireland, later back in Glasgow looking in the window of an army recruitment office he was struck by what the army offer in recruitment drives compared to the reality of urban peace keeping. 'Wains' are definitely children, soldiers were often faced with small children shouting at them and getting in the way of the snatch squads, the term made it's way from Scottish protestants brought over to Belfast to takr shipbuilding jobs in order to keep them from Catholics, the term originaly would have been Bairn, common term in Scotland for Child, and changed in time to Wain

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 05:32 PM

Weans, pronounced waynes just to confuse our friends from Essex, is a contraction of wee yins (little ones).

Subject: RE: Add:I'm Asking You Sergeant Where's Mine(Connolly)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 11:26 PM

And confused several of the lyrics sites, which have 'wanes'. And me- I tried looking up 'wanes' in Scottish and Irish glossaries.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Asking You Sergeant, Where's Mine?
From: GUEST,John Cunningham
Date: 18 Apr 11 - 12:17 PM

I haven't heard the Dubliners' version, but the original version was on Billy's 1974 album "Cop yer whack for this" - the title of which comes from an anecdote about his "lucky" uncle Freddie, featured on the LP. Another military reference. Great punch line too.

On the original, the soldier has "A brother in Partick with long curly hair" - i.e not "a brother in Glasgow". Partick is the area of Glasgow where Connolly grew up, so we can assume the brother to be Billy himself.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Asking You Sergeant, Where's Mine?
From: GUEST,Mairead
Date: 20 Aug 16 - 11:18 AM

Joe Offler's lyrics definitely look canonical to me.

'Wean' and 'bairn' are both in use as regional terms -- 'bairn' came over with the Vikings from Scandinavia, where it's 'barn', whereas 'wean' (pron. 'wane') is home-grown.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'm Asking You Sergeant, Where's Mine
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Aug 16 - 08:15 PM

This song was on the very first folk music album I ever bought, the final track on a vinyl double compilation album called All The Folk That Fits, that I bought for a quid some time in the 80s. The records contained several tracks each by Planxty, the Bothies and De Dannan that got me into this music bigtime. It wasn't this song that really grabbed me, but I love Billy anyway and have been to two of his live gigs, out of both of which I almost needed an ambulance to rescue me, having nearly died from the pain of laughter!