Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me? Lyrics
A girl asks a soldier to marry her, and he always has an excuse: no coat, no shoes, no gloves. She fetches each one, until the last answer gives away why he was never going to say yes. William Wells Newell printed this children's singing game in his book Games and Songs of American Children.
Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me?
"Soldier, soldier, will you marry me,
With a knapsack, fife, and drum?"
"Oh no, my pretty maiden, I cannot marry you,
For I have no coat to put on."
Then away she ran to the tailor's shop,
As fast as legs could run;
And bought him one of the very best,
And the soldier put it on.
"Soldier, soldier, will you marry me,
With your knapsack, fife, and drum?"
"Oh no, my pretty maiden, I cannot marry you,
For I have - a good wife - at home!"
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/soldier-soldier-will-you-marry-me/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Sung or spoken as a question and answer between two players
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Soldier, soldier, will you marry me | The questioner puts a hand on the chest and asks with spirit. |
| With a knapsack, fife, and drum? | Both players pretend to play a fife or beat a drum. |
| Then away she ran to the tailor's shop | The questioner runs on the spot, or hurries across the room, then returns with an imaginary coat. |
| And the soldier put it on | The soldier pretends to pull on the coat. |
What Does Soldier, Soldier, Will You Marry Me? Mean?
It is a game of question and answer. One player asks, "Soldier, soldier, will you marry me, with a knapsack, fife, and drum?" The soldier answers politely that he cannot, because he has no coat to put on. The questioner hurries to the tailor's shop, buys "one of the very best", and the soldier puts it on. Then the question comes again, and the soldier pleads for something else: shoes, gloves and so on.
The page prints the first round, the shopping, and the last round. The book says the question is repeated in between with the soldier asking for more things. The last round has the surprise. Asked once more, the soldier says he cannot marry her, because he has "a good wife at home". The excuses were only excuses, and the twist is that he is married already.
A knapsack is a bag carried on the back, a fife is a small high flute played in marching bands, and a maiden is a young woman. The knapsack, fife and drum are the soldier's usual gear, so the question is really whether the soldier will marry her, kit and all.
History and Origin
William Wells Newell, who gathered the song, gave it in Games and Songs of American Children, a book from the 1880s. He says it was "more or less familiar as children's songs through the United States" and that his version was sung by children from five to eight years old.
The children made a favourite amusement of it, he writes, at afternoon gatherings: when one couple had finished, another pair would begin, and so on for hours at a time. The aim was to give the soldier "the most varied wardrobe possible", while the questioner asked "with spirit", laying her hand on her heart. He adds that the usual opinion among the players was that the heart lies under the left arm.
Learning Activities
- Dress the soldier: play it in pairs with a pile of dress-up items, and see how many different things the soldier can ask for before the last round.
- Invent an excuse: think of new things for the soldier to lack, such as a scarf or a hat, but keep the last answer a surprise.
- Fife and drum: make a marching beat with spoons on a tin, and hum a fife tune over the top.
- Switch parts: take turns being the questioner and the soldier so that every child gets to give the last answer.