Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life

Subject: What is the name of song?
From:
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 07:24 PM

"The coffee in the army they say it's mighty fine,
it's good for cuts and bruises but tastes like iodine.
Oh Ma, I want to go home,
gee ma I want to go,
but they won't let me go,
gee Ma I want to go home.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 07:31 PM

"The nurses in the army, they say they're mighty fine,
you break one of your fingers, they break the other nine.
Oh gee ma, I've had enough of army life.
Hey ma I want to go,
but they won't let me go,
gee ma I want to go home."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: MMario
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 07:38 PM

I always knew it as "gee, Ma, I wanna go home"

Subject: Lyr Add: LIFE IN THE ARMY
From: campfire
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 08:03 PM

It's in my "songs for Camp and Campus" (a book as old as I am!) as "LIFE IN THE ARMY"

Two more verses:

The Biscuits in the Army they say are mighty fine
But one rolled off the table and killed a pal of mine

and

The chicken in the army they say is mighty fine
But once two drumsticks got up and started beating time

campfire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: Robby
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 08:20 PM

If I remember correctly, this was composed by Irving Berlin.

Subject: Lyr Add: GEE, MA, I WANT TO GO HOME
From: raredance
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 09:59 PM

"Ballads and Songs of WWI" by Jerry Silverman (1997 Mel Bay) has the coffee and biscuits verses and the following:

The chickens that they give, they say are mighty fine;
ONe rolled off the table and it started marking time.

The details that they give, they say are mighty fine;
The garbage that we pick up, the feed us all the time.

The clothes that they give, they say are mighty fine;
But me and my buddy can both fit into mine.

The women in the service club, they say are mighty fine;
But most are over ninety and the rest are under nine.

They treat us all like monkeys, and make us stand in line,
They give you fifty dollars and take back forty-nine.

It is in a section of the book called "Tin Hat Alley" and no authors are given.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Oct 00 - 10:41 PM

It's in the DT as GEE, MA, I WANT TO GO HOME (click here)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 23 Oct 00 - 07:45 AM

They say that in the navy the beds are very fine
The bloody bastard liars have never slept in mine
Oh I dont want no more of navy life
Cho:Please chief I wanna go
But they wont let me go
Please chief I wanna go home

They say that in the navy the food is very fine
A pea rolled off the table and killed a mate of mine
Cho:

They say that in the navy the pay is very fine
They give you thirty dollars and take back twenty nine
Cho:
Army - Navy - Airforce

Extemporise... Have fun Yours, Aye.Dave

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 09:19 PM

The sweaters in the Army,
they say they're mighty fine...
but I'd need Betty Grable
to fit the shape of mine...
(Update to say Dolly Partin?)

The boots in the Army,
they say they're mighty fine,
I asked for number seven,
They gave me number nine...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?
From: Genie
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 10:53 PM

I thought back in WWII times it was Lana Turner who was the "sweater girl" (the idol of "boob men"). Betty Grable was known for her legs. : D

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life
From: kendall
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 08:29 AM

"Boob men"? that says it all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life
From: Flash Company
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 10:32 AM

I think the one Irving Berlin wrote was 'Oh how I hate to get up in the morning!' which included one of the kind of tortured lines which I love:-

One day I'm going to murder the bugler,
One day I'm going to kill him dead,
I'll amputate his Reverlee
And step upon it heavily
and spend the rest of my life in bed!

FC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 10:44 AM

The song turns up on a Leadbelly double CD titled "Bluesman." The second disc is a live recording of the 1949 Texas concert when he was already ill and starting to experience the effects of ALS (from which he would die in December of that year).

On the CD it's called "I Don't Want No More of Army Life."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 11:05 AM

Reminds me of Ewan McColl's song about a disillusioned soldier, Browned Off

Oh I was browned off, browned off, browned off as can be,
Browned off, browned off, an easy mark, that's me.
But when this war is over and again I'm free
There'll be no more trips around the world for me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What is the name of song?-army life
From: GUEST,arjun
Date: 19 Nov 10 - 11:37 PM

life in the army,they say is very fine
you ask for chicken,they give you porcupine