"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 List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

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 Herman Darewski (17 April 1883 – 2 June 1947) was a British composer and conductor of light music. His most successful work was perhaps '' The Better 'Ole'', which ran for over 800 performances in its original London production in 1917. Some ...

composed the music, while the lyrics were written by R.P. Weston. Both Billy Murray and

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-billed ...

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

, 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 Nove ...

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