| AKA | Mademoiselle from Armentieres Three German Officers Crossed the Line |
| First Published | 1916 |
| Lyrics | Harry Wincott? or Harry Carlton? | Music | Harry Wincott? or JA Tunbridge? | Roud | RN4703 |
| Music Hall Performers | Shaun Glenville Harry Carlton and many others.. |
| Folk performances | Source Singers WG Millard, no date, New South Wales, Australia Marky (seal hunter), 1923, Newfoundland Canada ES Fowldes, 1923, Hidalgo, Mexico RM Davids, 1924 Florida USA William F Burroughs, 1925, Maryland USA JJ Burke, 1926, Pennsylvania USA Frank Partridge, 1927, California USA John Sizemore, 1937, Kentucky USA Sgt Robert McDuff, 1938, Kentucky USA John Addington, 1940, Virginia USA Schoolchildren, 1952, Dundee Scotland KR, 1953 Arkansas USA Susan Randell, 1971, Newfoundland Canada Alice Cane, 1983, Ontario Canada Gordon Hall, 1989,Sussex, England Mabs Hall, 1989, Sussex, England |
What is the latest song the folks are singing around the street Singing around the street Everyone you meet? What is the latest melody that's caught the young idea? Promise to keep it secret and I'll whisper in your ear. Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez vous? Mademoiselle from Armentieres Same to you Who was the girl who lost her sheep Thro' singing this chorus in her sleep Mademoiselle from Armentieres. Sandy McTosh from Glasgow Town he put on his kilt one day Down by the briny spray Merry and bright and gay Out on the Prom he strolled along, the wind was rather high Who was the girl who turned her head, but only shut one eye. Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez Vous? Mademoiselle from Armentieres Same to you Who was it tied his kilt with string To stop ‘em doing the Highlan' fling Mademoiselle from Armentieres. Company Sergeant Major Brown was stationed at Aldershot All the boys on the spot Knew that Brown was ‘ot Even the Colonel had no chance to shine in Cupid's lamp Until the day the Tommies spied a stranger in the camp. Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez Vous? Mademoiselle from Armentieres Same to you Giddy old Colonel knows his biz And who do you think his batman is? Mademoiselle from Armentieres. Up in his aeroplane one night went Robinson for a flight Everything alright Beautiful moonlight night Circled around the moon awhile, it's wonders to explore Looping the loop above the clouds, and what do you think he saw. Mademoiselle from Armentieres Parlez Vous? Mademoiselle from Armentieres Same to you Who do you think was there in Mars A doing the Can-Can to the stars Mademoiselle from Armentieres.
Harry Wincott claimed to have written the version of the song sung in the Halls, though Harry Carlton/Tunbridge claim it too. It’s more likely that either or both of these took the song from something made up in the trenches of World War I. The almost infinite adaptability of the tune and chorus have seen it moulded to multiple, often bawdy purposes. It’s fair to say you are very unlikely to hear it sung exactly as written above…
The song no doubt existed in various versions even during the Great War. It was exceptionally popular amongst all the Allied troops, and has since been collected throughout the English-speaking world.
Sources:
- Entries in the Roud Indexes at the Vaughn Williams Memorial Library: https://archives.vwml.org/search/all:single[folksong-broadside-books]/0_50/all/score_desc/extended-roudNo_tr%3A4703
- Kilgarrif Sing Us
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- Roy Palmer: What a lovely War!
A contemporary version:
Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by John Baxter | Published: June 19, 2020
