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The Gentleman Soldier Lyrics
It's of a gentleman soldier
as sentry he did stand
He saluted a fair maiden
by a waiving of his hand
So then he boldly kissed her
and he passed it off as a joke
He drilled her up in the sentry box
wrapped up in a soldier's cloke
And the drums are going a rap a tap tap
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
All night they tossed and tumbled
till the daylight did appear
The soldier rose, put on his clothes,
saying, Fare you well my dear
For the drums they are a beating
and the fifes they so sweetly play
If it weren't for that Polly my dear
with you I'd gladly stay
And the drums are going a rap a tap tap
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
Now come you gentleman soldier,
won't you marry me?
Oh no my dearest Polly
such things can never be
for I've a wife already
children I have three
Two wives are allowed in the army
but one's too many for me
And the drums are going a rap a tap tap
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
If anyone comes a courting you,
you can treat them to a glass
If anyone comes a courting you,
you can say you're a country lass
You needn't ever tell them,
nor pass it off as a joke
That you got drilled in a sentry box
wrapped up in a soldier's cloke
And the drums are going a rap a tap tap
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
Oh it's come my gentleman soldier,
why didn't you tell me so? My parents will be angy
when this they come to know When nine months had been and gone
the poor girl she brought shame
She had a little militia boy
and she didn't know his name
And the drums are going a rap a tap tap
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
as sentry he did stand
He saluted a fair maiden
by a waiving of his hand
So then he boldly kissed her
and he passed it off as a joke
He drilled her up in the sentry box
wrapped up in a soldier's cloke
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
till the daylight did appear
The soldier rose, put on his clothes,
saying, Fare you well my dear
For the drums they are a beating
and the fifes they so sweetly play
If it weren't for that Polly my dear
with you I'd gladly stay
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
won't you marry me?
Oh no my dearest Polly
such things can never be
for I've a wife already
children I have three
Two wives are allowed in the army
but one's too many for me
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
you can treat them to a glass
If anyone comes a courting you,
you can say you're a country lass
You needn't ever tell them,
nor pass it off as a joke
That you got drilled in a sentry box
wrapped up in a soldier's cloke
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
why didn't you tell me so? My parents will be angy
when this they come to know When nine months had been and gone
the poor girl she brought shame
She had a little militia boy
and she didn't know his name
And the fifes they loudly play
Fare you well Polly my dear
I must be going away
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this song is so funny, i love the way the two characters talk and converse through the song, its just such a funny way to address quite a sad tale. their voices sound so over the top and the "rap a tap tap" bit in sync with the drums is good.
i love the rap a tap tap bit
it's obvious what the songs about
Guy taps a virgin gal before he goes off to the war (what is it with the Pogues and war?)
He admits his marriage to her after she starts to think of the consequences should she bear a child 'in 9 months' and asks for marriage herself. Obviously he turns her down since he's done the un-gentlemanly thing and... Completely used her for sexual gratification.
Anyway, she is left to suffer the consequences of religious archaic traditions while he goes off to the war, where, if the Pogues were to have written a follow-up song, he would have died horrifically.
/solved.