Grenadier (Housman, set by J. Addison, O. Morawetz) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


The Queen she sent to look for me,
  The sergeant he did say,
"Young man, a soldier will you be
  For thirteen pence a day?"

For thirteen pence a day did I
  Take off the things I wore,
And I have marched to where I lie,
  And I shall march no more.
 
My mouth is dry, my shirt is wet,
  My blood runs all away,
So now I shall not die in debt
  For thirteen pence a day.

To-morrow after new young men
  The sergeant he must see,
For things will all be over then
  Between the Queen and me.

And I shall have to bate my price,
  For in the grave, they say,
Is neither knowledge nor device
  Nor thirteen pence a day.

Authorship

Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936)

Last Poems

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

John Addison (1920-)

Oskar Morawetz (1917-)

Date added to the website: 2008-08-18.

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