Lyricist(s) R.P. Weston | ||
 | ||
Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for Soldiers is a World War I 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." It was composed by Herman Darewski, written by R.P. Weston, sung by both Billy Murray and Al Jolson, and 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.
Contents
Lyrics
Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers Sister Susie's sewing in the kitchen on a "Singer", There's miles and miles of flannel on the floor And up the stairs, And father says it's rotten getting mixed up with the cotton, And sitting on the needles that she leaves upon the chairs.
And should you knock at our street door Ma whispers, "Come inside." Then when you ask where Susie is, She says with loving pride:
(fast) "Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers Such skill at sewing shirts Our shy young sister Susie shows!
Some soldiers send epistles, Say they'd sooner sleep in thistles Than the saucy, soft, short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."
Piles and piles and piles of shirts she sends out to the soldiers, And sailors won't be jealous when they see them, Not at all. And when we say her stitching will set all the soldiers itching, She says our soldiers fight best when their back's against the wall.
And little brother Gussie, he who lisps when he says "yes", Says "Where's the cotton gone from off my kite? Oh, I can gueth!"
(faster) REPEAT CHORUS
I forgot to tell you that our sister Susie's married, And when she isn't sewing shirts She's sewing other things. Then little sister Molly says, "Oh, sister's bought a dolly. She's making all the clothes for it With pretty bows and strings."
Says Susie: "Don't be silly" As she blushes and she sighs. Then mother smiles and whispers with a twinkle in her eyes: (fastest) REPEAT CHORUS
Sequel
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:-
"You've heard of Sister Susie who's been sewing shirts for soldiers, In company with lots of other wenches. Those shirts have come in handy to our boys somewhere in France, They've kept them warm and cosy in the trenches. I lately paid a visit to the fellows at the front. It was washing day the day that I got there. I've seen those soldiers drilling and I've seen them working too, But the way I saw them washing made me stare.
I saw six short soldiers scrubbing six short shirts, Six short soldiers scrubbed and scrubbed, six short soldiers rubbed and rubbed. Six short soldiers sang this song, their singing surely showed Those six short soldiers scrubbed six short shirts Sister Susie sewed.
Those soldiers sang of Sister Susie sewing shirts for soldiers While shot and shell accompanied their singing The shrapnel burst above them, but they simply scrubbed away The soap suds all around them they were flinging. Said I, "those shirts seem short but I suppose they've simply shrunk" One said "these shirts have shrunk, well I should smile" Another said, "we're glad they're short because we're short of soap So I stood there watching them for quite a while".
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"