Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 06:06 PM

I'm not having any luck finding source information for this song. It certainly must be related to Last Fierce Charge, but "charge" has a girlfriend in addition to the mother. Or is the "blue-eyed girl" in this song a vestige of the reference to to the girlfriend? Seems to me this version must also be late 19th century or even Civil War, but I can't find anything earlier than Dylan.
Maybe that's the answer "brainpolice" is seeking - take a look at Last Fierce Charge in the Digital Tradition, and see if those are the missing lyrics you're seeking. Maybe "Two Soldiers" is just a drastic editing of "Last Fierce Charge," to make it fit on a 45 RPM record...
This thread (click) has what's probably our best discussion of "Charge."

-Joe-

Subject: ADD: Two Soldiers
From: brainpolice
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 04:01 PM

Bob dylan plays the version i have included below but I remember being told at one point that there were more lyrics that came before the first verse that he sings. If anyone knows what they are it would be greatly appreciated..


TWO SOLDIERS
(from Bob Dylan)

He was just a blue-eyed Boston boy
His voice was low with pain
"I'll do your bidding comrade mine
If I ride back again
But if you ride back and I am left
You'll do as much for me
Mother you know, must hear the news
So write to her tenderly."

"She's waiting at home like a patient saint
Her fond face pale with woe
Her heart will be broken when I am gone
I'll see her soon, I know"
Just then the order came to charge
For an instant hand touched hand
They said "Aye" and away they rode
That brave and devoted band.

Straight was the track to the top of the hill
The rebels they shot and shelled
Plowed furrows of death through the toiling ranks
And guarded them as they fell
There soon came a horrible dying yell
From heights that they could not gain
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly back again.

But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair
The tall dark man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover had said
Momma, you know, awaits the news
And she'll only know he's dead.

Subject: RE: two soldiers
From: harpgirl
Date: 22 Oct 01 - 07:59 AM

Here it is...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 10 Apr 01 - 05:16 PM

You're right Big Tim...his version is wonderful, but unfortunately he sang in Dylanese again :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Big Tim
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 05:54 AM

Love Bob singing this, but had the same problem with the lyrics, eventually got them from the songbook of the album.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 05:11 AM

Thanks for the nice welcome, Quincy! That's what I love about Mudcat, the people are so friendly here! And it's a great source for lyrics and infos...

Have a nice day,

Nathali

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Quincy
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 04:30 AM

By the Way......Welcome to Mudcat Mad Maudlin!!

Yvonne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Quincy
Date: 09 Apr 01 - 04:23 AM

You're welcome Nathali...here's the google index for more info.

Bob Dylan Two Soldiers

best wishes, Yvonne

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: rube1
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 09:13 PM

Garcia and Grisman did this song too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: DebC
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 07:04 PM

One of the best versions of this song is by hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard.

I also performed this song on my 1997 release "A Dram For the Singer"

Deb

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 04:00 PM

Thank you very much, Yvonne! And why didn't I find anything when I let Google search? Google hates me, sob :-) Correct or not, at least there are some words to fill in. It can really kill your sad mood when you want to play a song like that one and some of the lines have to be substituted by "mmmh mmmm mmmm" because you haven't understood a word!

Have a nice evening and thank you again!

Nathali

Subject: Lyr Add: TWO SOLDIERS (from Bob Dylan)
From: Quincy
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 02:18 PM

Got this from a google page MM..don't know how correct it is though!

He was just a blue-eyed Boston boy,
His voice was low with pain.
"I'll do your bidding, comrade mine,
If I ride back again.
But if you ride back and I am left,
You'll do as much for me,
Mother, you know, must hear the news,
So write to her tenderly.

"She's waiting at home like a patient saint,
Her fond face pale with woe.
Her heart will be broken when I am gone,
I'll see her soon, I know."
Just then the order came to charge,
For an instance hand touched hand.
They said, "Aye," and away they rode,
That brave and devoted band.

Straight was the track to the top of the hill,
The rebels they shot and shelled,
Plowed furrows of death through the toiling ranks,
And guarded them as they fell.
There soon came a horrible dying yell
From heights that they could not gain,
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly back again.

But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair.
The tall dark man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover had said.
Momma, you know, awaits the news,
And she'll only know he's dead.


best wishes, Yvonne

Subject: Two Soldiers (as sung by Bob Dylan)
From: Mad Maudlin
Date: 08 Apr 01 - 01:25 PM

I'm looking for bits of the lyrics of "Two Soldiers" I don't understand. Here's the text, it would be great if someone could fill in what's missing. Thanks in advance!

Two Soldiers

He was just a blue-eyed Boston boy
His voice was low in pain.
"I'll do you a bidding, comrade mine,
If I ride back again.
But if you ride back and I am left,
you'll do as much for me:
Martha, you know, must hear the news,
so write to her tenderly.

"She's waiting at home like a patient saint,
Her fine face pale with woe.
Her heart will be broken when I am gone,
I'll see her soon, I know."
Just then the oder came to charge
(not understood)
They said Aye (?) and away they rode
At the breaking of the day (?)

Straight was the track to the top of the hill,
The Rebels .....(rest not understood)
(not understood)
and got at them (?) as they fell.
There soon was a terrible (rest not understood)
(not understood)
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly out of there.

But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair.
The tall gaunt man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover has said:
Martha, you know, will hear the news,
But ahe'll only know he's dead.

Subject: Lyr Add: TWO SOLDIERS (from Bob Dylan)
From: Coinneach
Date: 13 Sep 98 - 06:29 PM

Two Soldiers
Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan

   G             G6    G   C   g  F            (1)
          He was just a blue-eyed Boston boy
   F                      C      Csus4   C
   His voice was low with pain
   G            G6   G   C   g   F
   I'll do your bidding, comrade mine,
   F              C      Csus4   C
   If I ride back again.
         G      G6    G7   C                   (2)
   But if you ride back and I am left
          G      G6  G7  G
   You'll do as much for me
   G           G6    G    C    g   F
   Mother, you know, must hear the news
   F                     C      Csus4   C
   So write to her tenderly.

She's a-waiting at home like a patient saint
Her fallen face paled with woe
Her heart would be broken when I am gone
I'll see her soon, I know.
Just then the order came to charge
For an instant hand touched hand
They said "aye" and away they rode
That brave and devoted band

Straight was the track to the top of the hill
The rebels they shot and shelled
Plowed furroughs of death through the toiling ranks
And guarded them as they fell.
There soon came a horrible dying yell
From heights that they could not gain
And those whom doom and death had spared
Rode slowly down again.

But among the dead that were left on the hill
Was the boy with the curly hair
The tall dark man who rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
There's no one to write to the blue-eyed girl
The words that her lover had said
Mama, you know, awaits the news
And soon only know he's dead.

Subject: two soldiers
From: erika
Date: 13 Sep 98 - 04:25 PM

I'm looking for the lyrics to a song called Two Soldiers. On Bob Dylan's album, World gone Wrong, he covers it. Try as I might I can't make out all the lyrics by listening to him mumble away in his typical fashion. In the liner notes he mentions that 'Hazel and Alice' have also done it. It's a beautiful little tune and I'd appreciate if anybody knows the lyrics. It's not in the data base.