A new addition to my toy soldier collection – this charming 1935 sheet music cover and lyrics are pure H.G. Wells’ Little Wars and RLS’s Child’s Garden of Verses.
The General’s Fast Asleep – Military Foxtrot
First verse:
Right across the nurs’ry floor,
Gallant soldiers dress’d for war,
Drummer boys and buglers grand,
wait-ing the word of command,
Spick and span they stand,
But ne-ver a word of Com-mand
However most recorded versions of the song usually start here at this point:
There won’t be any bugle played
Sad to say no war to-day
‘Cause the General’s fast asleep
They’ve been told they’re to fight the foe
Sad to say no war today
‘Cause the General’s fast asleep
The Captain’s sad and the Sergeant too
Guess this war will have to keep
It’s enough to make an army weep
Time to take him away to bed
Sad to say no war today
‘Cause the General’s fast asleep
That his victory won’t go down to fame
Sandman’s here to dim the light
Little General, good night.

.
There is a jolly military band feel to this Ray Ventura French language version 1935/6
https://youtu.be/qGeus7zvqgo
Fast pace German dance orchestra version 1936 by German jazz / dance band leader Heinz Werner (1908- died / missing on Wermacht service 1945) but sung in English https://youtu.be/JZvbaZn2r54
Henry Hall and the BBC Dance Orchestra 1930s (with Henry singing the vocals?)
https://youtu.be/iDwt_hOeLgc
Ambrose recorded this with Evelyn Dall on vocals,
as did Joe Loss and his Orchestra
https://youtu.be/pwT3AgKSF3U

The art work (by Muf?) shows some attractive little redcoats and their (almost spacey) artillery


I shall probably frame and hang this music sheet above my gaming and painting table. All for the love of toy soldiers …
I wonder if the 1935 song title comes in any way from an 1855 Crimean era Punch cartoon by John Leech “The General Fast (Asleep). Humiliating – Very ” https://punch.photoshelter.com/image/I000003bgnBCre0U
based on Victorian and ACW era National Days of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1855/feb/22/day-of-humiliation
The French lyric version appears slightly different, translated and rewritten to keep the right rhythm?
LE GÉNÉRAL DORT DEBOUT
Sur le plancher du salon,
Sont rangés les soldats de plomb.
Fantassins et artilleurs,
Des cavaliers, des sapeurs
Vont jouer leur destin.
Pourtant, aucun ordre ne vient.
Rantanplan, pas de grande parade !
Fermez le ban, pas de mousquetade !
Tout le monde au garde-à-vous !
Mais le général dort debout.
Les soldats étaient pourtant prêts,
On avait dit qu’ils se battraient,
Mais il faut qu’ils soient dissous
Car le général dort debout.
Les officiers ne sont pas contents.
Du colonel au sous-lieutenant,
Ils transmettent ce commandement :
“Baboum badaboum, rompez les rangs !”
Regardez sa tête se pencher,
Il faut l’emmener se coucher
Ce tantôt, pas de héros,
Car le général fait dodo.
Devant ce grand désarroi,
Tout va vite de guingois.
Quatre tanks sont renversés ;
Tous les avions sont écroulés ;
D’un geste du pied,
Leur chef les a tous balayés.
Rantanplan, pas de grande parade !
Fermez le ban, pas de mousquetade !
Tout le monde au garde-à-vous !
Mais le général dort debout.
Les soldats étaient pourtant prêts,
On avait dit qu’ils se battraient,
Mais il faut qu’ils soient dissous
Car le général dort debout.
Les officiers ne sont pas contents.
Du colonel au sous-lieutenant,
Ils transmettent ce commandement :
“Baboum badaboum, rompez les rangs !”
Regardez sa tête se pencher,
Il faut l’emmener se coucher
Ce tantôt, pas de héros,
Car le général fait dodo.
Le marchand de sable vient
Apportant le sommeil en ses mains.
Dormez bien, la lune luit.
Général, bonne nuit !
French Translation Contributed by Marco Valdo M.I. – 2015/2/23 – 20:34
Strangely, “fait dodo” is French baby talk for going to sleep, like the sleepy, slow or stupid (thus rapidly extinct) Dodo.
General Dort Debout and General Fait Dodo would be good French General Imagi-Nations names. Likewise Generale Dorme In Piedi for an Italian General.
Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN / Homme de Plomb, 14 March 2019.
Super research for this post. I think framing the front cover is an excellent idea as it’s a terrific illustration. The General appears to be wearing a dress? Though the lyrics say ‘he’, could it even be a girl?
LikeLike
Well observed – it could be a girl, although up until mid 19th Century, many very young children were dressed alike or in poor country areas wore castoffs and hand me downs. ‘He’ could just be a chubby cherubic curly haired boy in hidden shorts.
Female Generals? If the cover does show a girl child, They could be some of this H G Wells suggested (very young) rare females (rare in historical gaming circles, less so in fantasy games) mentioned hopefully in his “Little Wars: a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys’ games and books.”
I thought you might like the Crimea link to the sleeping generals 1855 Punch cartoon link in view of your recent Crimean Command figures painting.
LikeLike