“The Soldier and the Sailor”

Description

The sailor "has a good mind to pray For the rights of all people and the wrongs of all men." He accuses the lawyers of "tak[ing] your hard earnings and giv[ing] you hard laws"; the ministers for condemning you to hell, and the farmers for high prices

Supplemental text

Soldier and the Sailor, The
  Partial text(s)

          *** A ***

The Soldier's Prayer

From Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson, Songs of Miramichi,
#94, p. 292. Fragment from the singing of Billy Price, Priceville,
in 1960.

A soldier and a sailor went walking one day,
  Said the soldier to the sailor, "I think I will pray
For the good of all the country, for the will of all men,
  If it lies in your sent'ment will you answer 'Amen?'"

(1 additional stanza)

Notes

This appears to exist in two forms -- one, exemplified by Doerflinger, condemning various wrongs; the other, found in Kennedy, just calling for a good time (praying for beer and the like). There are, however, enough similarities that I would consider them still one song. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "'Pleasant and Delightful" (meter)
• cf. "Ye Gentlemen of England (I)" [Laws K2] (theme)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Firth c.14(226), "The Soldier and the Sailor"[title incomplete] ("As a sailor and a soldier was walking one day"), unknown, n.d.

Recordings

• Archie Lennox, "The Soldier and the Sailor" (on FSB8)
• Brigid Tunney, "The Soldier and the Sailor" (on IRTunneyFamily01)

References

1. Doerflinger, pp. 277-278, "The Soldier and the Sailor" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Kennedy 239, "The Soldier and the Sailor" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Manny/Wilson 94, "The Soldier's Prayer (The Soldier and the Sailor)" (1 short text, 1 tune)
4. ST Doe277 (Partial)
5. Roud #350
6. BI, Doe277