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MP3 7.9 MB • 128 kbps • 8:35
Lyrics
NOTES:
"Hard tack" is a parody the Stephen Foster song "Hare Times Come Again No More," as a result of supply
difficulties. The "new" lyrics may have been contributed to by many soldiers from both sides of the conflict.
"Goober Peas" is probably familiar to most. Peanuts sounds better than horse feed, but perhaps not when that's
all you've got. The line "Mister, here's your mule," refers to a kind of game the soldiers had in which they
would hide the mule of a travelling peddler and that shout would come from various parts of the camp.
"Poor Kitty Popcorn" is by Henry Clay Work. What begins as a humorous tale grows ironically sentimental
when cat and master are both back home and all should be well.
In the vocals, the voices will be abbreviated:
S=Soprano
T=Tenor
B=Bass or Baritone
M=Mens Chorus
W=Womens Chorus
LIBRETTO
HARD TACK COME AGAIN NO MOR
B: Let us close our game of pok- er,
take our tin cups in our hand,
as we all stand by the cook's tent door,
as dried mum- mies of hard crack- ers
are han- ded to each man,
T,B,M: Oh hard tack come a- gain no more.
B: 'Tis a hung- ry thirst- y sol- dier
who wears his life a- way In torn clothes,
his bet- ter days are o'er.
And he's sigh- ing now for whisk- ey
in a voice as dry as hay,
T,B,M: Oh hard tack come a- gain no more
T: 'Tis the wail that is heard----
in camp both night and day,
'tis the mur- mur that's ming- led with each snore.
'Tis the sigh- ing of the soul----
for spring chick- ens far a way,
T,B,M: Oh hard tack come a- gain no more.
T,W,M: 'Tis the song, the sigh of the hung- ry:
S,T,B,W,M: hard tack, hard tack come a- gain no more.
Ma- ny days you have lin- gered up- on our sto- machs sore.
Oh hard tack come a- gain no more. B: But to all these cries and mur- murs,
there comes a sud- den hush,
As------------- frail forms are faint- ing by the door,
for they feed us now on horse feed
that the cooks---- call----- mush,
T,B: Oh hard tack come a- gain once more.
T,W,M: 'Tis the dy- ing wail of the starv- ing:
B: starv- ing:
S,T,B,M,W: Hard tack, hard tack come a- gain once more.
You were ve- ry old and worm- y but we pass your fail- ings o're.
Oh, hard tack, come a- gain once more.
GOOBER PEAS
B,M: Sit- ting by the road side on a sum- mer day,
chat- ting with my mess mates pas- sing time a- way,
ly- ing in the sha- dows un- der- neath the trees,
good- ness how de- lic- ious eat- ing Goob- er peas.
Peas, peas, peas, peas, eat- in' Goob- er peas;
Good- ness how de- lic- ious eat- ing Goob- er peas.
When a horse- man pass- es, the sold- iers have a rule,
to cry out at their loud- est "Mis- ter here's your mule,"
but a- no- ther cus- tom en- chant- ing- er than these
is wear- in out your grind- ers eat- in' Goob- er peas.
Peas, peas, peas, peas, eat- in' Goob- er peas;
Good- ness how de- lic- ious eat- ing Goob- er peas.
Just be- fore the bat- tle the gen- 'ral hears a row;
he says, "the Yanks are com- ing, I hear their rif- les now."
He turns a- round in won- der, and what you think he sees?
The Geor- gi- a Mi- li- tia eat- in Goob- er peas.
I think my song has las- ted al- most long e- nough;
the sub- ject's in- ter- es- tin' but rhymes are might- y rough.
B,M, W: I wish the war was ov- er, so free from rags and fleas
we'd kiss our wives and sweet- hearts and
B,M,W,S: kiss our wives and sweet- hearts and
gob- ble Goo- ber peas.
Gob- ble, gob- ble, gob- ble
