Now I'm a General at the Ministry

DESCRIPTION: "When I was a lad, I went to war As an air mechanic in the Flying Corps," and kept the plains well. Promoted Sergeant Major, he made himself seen on parade. And so on up the ranks, until "now I'm a general at the Ministry."
AUTHOR: unknown b(Music: Sir Arthur Sullivan)
EARLIEST DATE: 1918 (according to Arthur-WhenThisBloodyWarIsOver)
KEYWORDS: soldier derivative | promotion
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Arthur-WhenThisBloodyWarIsOver, pp. 116-117, "Now I'm a General at the Ministry" (1 text, tune referenced)
Ward-Jackson/Lucas-AirmansSongBook, p. 82, "Now I'm a General at the Ministry" (1 text, tune referenced)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "When I Was a Lad" (tune)
NOTES [79 words]: Arthur-WhenThisBloodyWarIsOver lists the tune of this as Gilbert and Sullivan's "I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee" from HMS Pinafore. But if somehow you don't know the tune and are looking it up, the correct name is "When I Was a Lad."
I do think this song sort of misses the point of the Gilbert and Sullivan original: In that song, Sir Joseph had no experience that was relevant to the navy, whereas in this song, the singer has actually flown a plane in combat. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: AWTBW116

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