Lyrics
Oh, my name is What-you-may-call-me, and me father's was as well
And a little game he taught me, and the story I will tell
With lots of little soldiers and as sure's the day would come
I sent them into battle at the beating of a drum
I put them up on a table, and I marched them all around
I battered them with me cannonballs and watched them falling down
I'd lots of little crosses which I laid upon the dead
And I patched up all the wounded ones and sent them off to bed
When I went 'round to the neighbors for a nickel or a dime
To buy some little soldiers just to pass away the time
They were always very kindly in supplying me with guns
And some of them even let me play at soldiers with their sons
I put them up on a table, and I marched them all around
I battered them with me cannonballs and watched them falling down
I'd lots of little crosses which I laid upon the dead
And I patched up all the wounded ones and sent them off to bed
Whenever I went to the shop to buy me guns and tanks
The man there always smiled, patted me head, and whispered, "Thanks
If it wasn't for your soldier game, I don't know what I'd do
Well, you keep me business busy, son, so here's an extra few"
I put them up on a table, and I marched them all around
I battered them with me cannonballs and watched them falling down
I'd lots of little crosses which I laid upon the dead
And I patched up all the wounded ones and sent them off to bed
One day, I bought some aeroplanes, but this is what I found
When I sent them into battle to help me soldiers on the ground
They bombed up every soldier, and they proved a terrible flop
And I had to buy another hundred crosses from the shop
I put them up on a table, and I marched them all around
I battered them with me cannonballs and watched them falling down
I'd lots of little crosses which I laid upon the dead
And I patched up all the wounded ones and sent them off to bed
I'd very much like to teach this game of soldiers and of guns
To me 14 lovely daughters, me seven handsome sons
The man in the shop gave me a bomb, he took it off the shelf
And he bombed up every soldier, all me neighbors, and meself
I put them up on a table, and I marched them all around
I battered hem with me cannonballs and watched them falling down
I'd lots of little crosses which I laid upon the dead
And I patched up all the wounded ones and sent them off to bed
