GOODBYE-EE
(R P Weston / Bert Lee 1915)

as recorded by Alfred Lester


Brother Bertie went away
To do his bit the other day.
With a smile on his lips
And his Lieutenant's pips
Upon his shoulder, bright and gay.
As the train moved out he said,
"Remember me to all the birds",
Then he wagged his paw
And went off to war,
Shouting out these pathetic words:

Goodbye-ee!  Goodbye-ee!
Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee.
Though it's hard to part I know, (I know)
I'll be tickled to death to go!
Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee,
There's a silver lining in the sky-ee!
Bonsoir old thing, cheerio, chin-chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, goodbye-ee!

At the concert down at Kew,
The convalescents, dressed in blue,
Had to hear Lady Lee,
Who had turned eighty three,
Sing the old old songs she knew.
Then she made a speech and said,
"I look upon you boys with pride,
And for what you've done
I'm going to kiss each one!"
They they all grabbed their sticks and cried:

Goodbye-ee!  Goodbye-ee!
Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee.
Though it's hard to part I know, (I know)
I'll be tickled to death to go!
Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee,
There's a silver lining in the sky-ee!
Bonsoir old thing, cheerio, chin-chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, goodbye-ee!

Little Private Patrick Shaw,
He was a prisoner of war,
Till the Hun with a gun
Called him "pig dog" for fun,
Then Paddy punched him on the jaw!
Right across the barbed wire fence,
The German dropped, then, dear oh dear!
All the wire gave way
And Paddy yelled "hooray!",
As he ran for the Dutch frontier!

Goodbye-ee!  Goodbye-ee!
Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee.
Though it's hard to part I know, (I know)
I'll be tickled to death to go!
Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee,
There's a silver lining in the sky-ee!
Bonsoir old thing, cheerio, chin-chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, goodbye-ee!



(Transcribed by Peter Akers - February 2017)