Nothing but a Plain Old Soldier

by Stephen Foster

1.
I’m nothing but a plain old soldier,
An old revolutionary soldier,
But I’ve handled a gun
Where noble deeds were done,
For the name of my commander was George Washington.
My home and my country to me were dear,
And I fought for both when the foe came near,
But now I will meet with a slight or sneer,
For I’m nothing but a plain old soldier.
Chorus:
Nothing but a plain old soldier,
An old revolutionary soldier,
But I’ve handled a gun
Where noble deeds were done,
For the name of my commander was George Washington.
 
2.
The friends I loved the best have departed,
The days of my early joys have gone,
And the voices once dear
And familiar to my ear,
Have faded from the scenes of the earth one by one
The tomb and the battle have laid them low,
And they roam no more where the bright streams flow,
I’m longing to join them and soon must go,
For I’m nothing but a plain old soldier.
Chorus:

3.
Again the battle song is resounding,
And who’ll bring the trouble to an end?
The Union will pout,
And Secession ever shout,
But none can tell us now which will yield or bend.
You've had many Generals from over the land,
You've tried one and you're still at a stand,
But when I took the field we had one in command,
Yet I’m nothing but a plain old soldier.
Chorus: