Officers' Wives (Puddings and Pies)

DESCRIPTION: "Officers' wives get puddings and pies, A sergeant's wife gets skilly, But a private's wife gets nothing at all To fill her empty belly." Or simply "Officers wives get puddings and pies But soldiers' wives get skilly."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1917 (Nettleingham-TommysTunes)
KEYWORDS: soldier food wife
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Brophy/Partridge-TommiesSongsAndSlang, p. 233, "(no title)" (1 short text)
Nettleingham-TommysTunes, #66, "Officers' Wives" (1 short text, 1 tune)
Roud #10765
NOTES [41 words]: The somewhat odd musical notation used for this in Nettleingham-TommysTunes makes me wonder if it wasn't sung as a round. But that's just speculation. A thread on mudcat.org hints at some obscene lyrics, but they probably were local versions. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: BrPa233B

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