by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864)
I'll be a soldier
Language: English
I'll be a soldier and march to the drum, And lie in my tent when the night shadows come; I'll be a soldier with knapsack and gun, And stand to my post 'till the din of battle's done. Chorus: Farewell! my own lov'd Jenny dear, Still will I dream of thee where ever I may stray; Farewell! before the coming year, I'll be a soldier far away. I'll be a soldier and join in the fray, With black shining belt and a jacket of grey; I'll face up the battle as bold as a hawk, As gay as a lark and as steady as I rock. I'll be a soldier, “My country” ’s the cry, I'll fly to defend her and conquer or die; The land of my childhood my love and my tears, The land of my birth and my early sunny years. I'll be a soldier, and when we have won, I'll come back to thee with my knapsack and gun, I'll come with a true heart and kiss off each tear, And linger beside thee forever Jenny dear.
Authorship:
- by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "I'll be a soldier" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "I'll be a soldier", published 1861. [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 21
Word count: 181