"Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers" is a
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
era song that tells about a young girl sewing shirts for soldiers fighting abroad. Her efforts are in vain however, as "Some soldiers send epistles, say they'd sooner sleep in thistles, than the saucy soft short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."
Herman Darewski composed the music, while the lyrics were written by
R.P. Weston. Both
Billy Murray and
Al Jolson sang early versions of the song, which was published by T. B. Harms & Francis and Day & Hunter in 1914. Each verse was meant to be sung faster than the last which presented issues for soldiers who had consumed large quantities of beer.
Lyrics
Sequels
Another tongue-twisting song from the Great War makes reference to "Sister Susie". Entitled "I Saw Six Short Soldiers Scrubbing Six Short Shirts" and composed by
Herman Darewski, its lyrics are as follows:-
A recording of "I Saw Six Short Soldiers Scrubbing Six Short Shirts" by Jay Laurier appears on volume 2 of "Oh! It's A Lovely War - Songs & Sketches Of The Great War 1914-1918"
This rendering
[''War the Liberator'' by Ewart Alan Mackintosh, London, John lane, 1918] by
Ewart Alan Mackintosh
Lieutenant Ewart Alan Mackintosh MC (4 March 1893 – 21 November 1917) was a war poet and an officer in the Seaforth Highlanders from December 1914. Mackintosh was killed whilst observing the second day of the second Battle of Cambrai, 21 Nov ...
gets closer to the reality of war:
References
External links
Al Jolson Sings, "Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers"
{{Authority control
Songs about soldiers
Songs about the military
1914 songs
Billy Murray (singer) songs
Al Jolson songs
Songs of World War I
Songs written by R. P. Weston