From: martin@lyra.cis.umassd.edu (Gary Martin)
Newsgroups: alt.war.civil.usa,rec.music.folk,alt.war
Subject: Re: Union Army recruitment song (lyrics)
Date: 26 Jan 93 14:15:15 GMT
	<MARTIN.93Jan23111922@lyra.cis.umassd.edu>
	<1993Jan24.101219.1@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu>
Organization: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

In article <1993Jan24.101219.1@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu> cowan@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu (P.L. Cowan) writes:
   In article <MARTIN.93Jan23111922@lyra.cis.umassd.edu>, martin@lyra.cis.umassd.edu (Gary Martin) writes:

   > I know there are lots of songs about women enlisting
   > (Jack Monroe, Female Rambling Sailor, Lisbon, Handsome Cabin Boy,
   > etc. etc.), 

   We have briefly discussesed the secret enlistment of women on
   alt.war.civil.usa, and their roles as doctors and nurses, but I am not
   familiar with the songs you cite. Could you please post the lyrics of
   one or two?

[thanks for the explanation of your grounds for your unusual interpretations
of the Question Song - I'm not sure I buy them, but they now no longer
seem to come from left field.]

Here are two songs about women surreptitiously going into military
service.  I'm also reminded of Steven Sellor's song "Willie-O",
in which the woman dresses as a man, signs up for the navy to search
for her Willie-O, gets discovered, at which point the captain and the
rest of the crew all reveal that they are women on a similar search.


JACK MONROE (trad. - as sung by Kat Eggleston on Victory Sings at Sea)

Johny's gone a-sailing, with trouble on his mind
For the leaving of his country and his darling love behind

Chorus: Doralee aladdie, doralee my lily-oh

She's gone to the tailor shop and dressed in men's array
Shipped on board a man-o'-war, conveyed herself away

"Before you step on board sir, your nabe I'd like to know"
With a smile upon her countenance, she answered, "Jack Monroe"

"Your waist it is too slender, and your fingers are too small,
And your cheeks, they are too rosy to face the cannonball."

"My waist, it is quite slender, and my fingers they are small
But I'll never faint nor falter though ten thousand 'round me fall."

The drums did loudly rattle, sweet music they did play
And unto the field of battle they soon did sail away

And when the war was over, in a circle she marched 'round
And among the dead and wounded her darling love she found
--------------------------------------------------------------------

WILLIAM TAYLOR (trad. - Oxford Book of Sea Songs)

William was a bashful lover, William loved a lady fair.
Bells a-ringing, birds a-singing, To the church they did repair.

Four-and-twenty brisk young sailors, Dressed themselves in rich array;
Instead of William being married, Pressed they were and sent to sea.

She followed after her true lover, Went by the name of William Carr;
Her soft hands and milk-white fingers All besmeared with pitch and tar.

She dressed herself in man's array, And boldly fought among the rest.
At last the wind blew open her waistcoat, And exposed her milk-white breast.

Then the news went to the captain. 
He says: "Pray, what wind has blown you here?"
"Kind sir", says she, "I'm in search of my lover
Whom you have pressed I love so dear."

"If you are in search of your true lover Tell to me his name, I pray."
"Kind sir", says she, "'twas William Taylor Whom you pressed the other day."

"If William Taylor is your true lover He has proved cruel and severe.
If you rise early in the morning You will see him walking with his lady fair."

Then she called for her sword and pistol, Sword and pistol at her command,
And she shot sweet William Taylor With his bride at his right hand.

Then the news went to the captain; He heartily laughed at all the fun.
Then he called her his best lieutenant Over a ship of five hundred ton.

   
--
Gary A. Martin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, UMass Dartmouth
Martin@cis.umassd.edu