Mechanicsville (In a little while)
If you want to ride the Bismarck, want to go out to sea
If you want to pilot a Mustang, get the MBE
Gonna bring it home to my woman, hope she’ll be pleased
She’s got a knock in her knees, but she walks with a regular ease
Gonna roll on yonder, cast my ballot, bounce a check, in a little while.
If you want to be a fifer, on number 49
You fife in Alabama, or on the Mason-Dixon Line
Try to move to GI, German CO says, “Nein, nein, nein.”
Instead get on the furlough, get married in two weeks’ time
Gonna roll on yonder, don’t get kilt, call up Martillus, in a little while.
If you want to get to Richmond, got to go through Lee
If he wants to get to Washington, got to go through me
Sherman’s in Atlanta, humming, “Number 43.”
Dixie’s waiting at the station, waiting on Ulysses
Roll on yonder, loaf of hard-tack, avocadoes, in a little while.
If you want to write a treatise, you can meet me in Versailles
Meet me halfway up along them walking ties
You want to make my acquaintance, look me in the E.Y.Eyes
Build you up like Sixtus the fifth whenever you arrive
Roll on yonder, buckwheat cake, cornbread and molasses, in a little while.
I got a young goyle, in Chautauqua, too
She’s a tight-haired woman and I don’t know what to do
She gives me soap and water and a sad sack of shoes
Told me to keep clean, washing out my Yankee blues
Gonna roll on yonder, join a union, take up cello, in a little while.
