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SOLDIER SOLDIER WILL YOU MARRY ME

(learned from Harry Belafonte record Mark Twain in 1956)

(music to go here)

Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with your musket, fife, and drum?
Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as ye when I got no shoes to put on?
    Off to the cobbler's she did go as fast as she could run,
    Bought him a pair of the best that was there and the soldier put them on.

Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with your musket, fife, and drum?
Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as ye when I got no pants to put on?
    Off to the tailor's she did go as fast as she could run,
    Bought him a pair of the best that was there and the soldier put them on.

Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with your musket, fife, and drum?
Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as ye when I got no coat to put on?
    Off to the haberdasher's she did go as fast as she could run,
    Bought him a coat of the best that was there and the soldier put them on.

Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with your musket, fife, and drum?
Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as ye when I got no hat to put on?
    Off to the haberdasher's she did go as fast as she could run,
    Bought him a hat of the best that was there and the soldier put them on.

Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with your musket, fife, and drum?
Oh, how can I marry such a pretty girl as ye,
With a wife and a baby at home?

(from miriam berg's folksong collection)