My Dream of the Big Parade - Billy Murray, Peerless Quartet

Last night I was dreaming of days that are gone

Of days that you might recall

And just like a photoplay upon my wall

Once more I saw it all;

It was just a dream you see

But how real it seemed to be

I saw buddies true, marching two by two

In my dream of the Big Parade

I saw angels fair with the Red Cross there

In my dream of the Big Parade

I saw Gold Star Mothers, sisters and brothers

What a sacrifice they made;

I saw one-legged pals coming home to their gals

In my dream of the Big Parade

Millions of soldiers, millions of men

All going over — I see them again

Oceans of water, submarines, too:

Millions of sailors helping them through

Millions of doughboys landing in Brest

Marching, marching, never a rest

Millions of bullets thundering past

Millions of bodies, wounded and gassed

Valleys of ruin, mountains of mud

Beautiful rivers and rivers of blood

Airplanes flying, bombs coming down

Millions of cooties crawling around

Pieces of shrapnel, pieces of shell

Many a cross where somebody fell

Fighting and fighting a horrible war

And God only knows what you’re fighting it for

Then came November, that armistice day

Out of a trench, into a cafe

Paddy, (?), Jimmy, and Jack

Over their bottles of wine and cognac

Telling their love tales to Gene and George

Yet little French girls they had to forget

Ahh, then came the journey over the foam

But all that went over didn’t come home

I saw Gold Star Mothers, sisters and brothers

What a sacrifice they made;

I saw one-legged pals coming home to their gals

In my dream of the Big Parade