by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864)
I'm nothing but a plain old soldier
Language: English
I'm nothing but a plain old soldier, An old revolutionary soldier, But I've handled a gun Where noble deeds were done, For the name of my commander was George Washington. My home and my country to me were dear, And I fought for both when the foe came near, But now I will meet with a slight or sneer, For I'm nothing but a plain old soldier. CHORUS Nothing but a plain old soldier, An old revolutionary soldier, But I've handled a gun Where noble deeds were done, For the name of my commander was George Washington. The friends I loved the best have departed, The days of my early joys have gone, And the voices once dear And familiar to my ear, Have faded from the scenes of the earth one by one. The tomb and the battle have laid them low, And they roam no more where the bright streams flow, I'm longing to join them and soon must go, For I'm nothing but a plain old soldier. (CHORUS) Again the battle song is resounding, And who'll bring the trouble to an end? The Union will pout, And Secession ever shout, But none can tell us now which will yield or bend. You've had many Generals from over the land, You've tried one by one and you're still at a stand, But when I took the field we had one in command, Yet I'm nothing but a plain old soldier. (CHORUS)
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), title 1: "I'm nothing but a plain old soldier", title 2: "Nothing but a plain old 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'm nothing but a plain old soldier", alternate title: "Nothing but a plain old soldier", published 1863 [voice and piano], New York, John J. Daly [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: T. P. (Peter) Perrin
This text was added to the website: 2011-11-10
Line count: 35
Word count: 243