Soldier's Joy

I think the main lyrics are by Guy Clarke, but I've borrowed this melody line from Souled American. Its based on a very old fiddle tune that dates back to at least the revolutionary war, but the Guy Clarke verses are related to the Civil War, and battlefield surgery as at least one reason to embrace peace and solve conflict in a more intelligent way.
During the Civil War, sawbones doctors did what they could to fight gangrene, lead poisoning and infection. When mere whisky and 'biting the bullet' didn't help, they could use opiates, like morphine as pain killers. At that time, doses were probably not very strictly regulated and the stuff was very addicting- it could easily have been rationalized as necessary medicine for amputees.
Soldiers who were left out on the battlefield sometimes had a better chance of surviving gangrene, as the maggots actually had a higher rate of success than rusty hacksaws.

"Hand me down my walkin cane, I ain't cut out for war"

Category:

Music

Tags:

• soldier's joy
• soldering
• decapitation
• amuptation
• amputee
• gangrene
• maggots
• morphine
• revolutionary war
• civil war
• cheap morphine
• banjo
• guy clarke
• souled american
• fiddle
• tuli kupferberg
• the fugs
• respa
• holy modal rounders
• mucus
• pus
• fester
• weeping
• protest song
• anti war
• walkin cane
• aint cut out for war

[fredxmertz]

first I thought a snake had bit me

It happened dreadful quick

a musketball had bit my leg and right off I got sick

I come to in a wagonload of 10 more wounded men

5 was dead by the time we reached that bloody awful tent

Gimme some of that soldier's joy, you know what I mean

I dont want to hurt no more, my leg is turning green

[tacosJ]

I enjoyed this. Souled American's Fe is a classic.

[raymondcrooke]

Good performance. Thanks for the video response. 5*