Digital Tradition Mirror

How Happy the Soldier

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

How Happy the Soldier

How happy the soldier who lives on his pay,
And spends half a crown out of sixpence a day;
Yet fears neither justices, warrants nor bums*
But pays all his debts with a roll of his drum!

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     And he pays all his debts with a roll of his drum.

He cares not a marneday how the world goes,
His King finds his quarters and money and clothes.
He laughs at all sorrow whenever it comes,
And rattles away with a rol of his drum!

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     And rattles away with a roll of his drum.

The drum is his glory, his joy, his delight
It leads him to pleasure as well as to fight;
No girl, when she hears it, though ever so glum
But packs up her tatters and follows the drum.

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     But packs up her tatters and follows the drum.

*short for bumbailiffs; bailiffs used in arrests.

Note: a post-American-Revolutonary song, that comes from a comic
     opera, "The Poor Soldier," 1783.
From Early American Songbook, Vinson
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!