Gee I Wish I Was Back In The Army
Rosemary Clooney (1) Lyrics
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I thought without a doubt
That I was through with all my care and strife
I thought that I was then
The happiest of men
But after months of tough civilian life
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Three meals a day
For which you didn't pay
Uniforms for winter, spring and fall
There's a lot to be said for the Army
The life without responsibility
A soldier out of luck
Was really never stuck
There's always someone higher up where you can pass the buck
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
The Army was the place to find romance
Soldiers and WACS
The WACS who dressed in slacks
Dancing cheek to cheek and pants to pants
There's a lot to be said for the Army
A gal was never lost for company
A million handsome guys
With longing in their eyes
And all you had to do was pick the age, the weight, the size
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
The shows we got civilians couldn't see
How we would yell for Dietrich and Cornell
Jolson, Hope and Benny all for free
[Alternate line from sheet music:
Crosby, Hope and Jolson all for free]
There's a lot to be said for the Army
The best of doctors watched you carefully
A dentist and a clerk
For weeks and weeks they'd work
They'd make a thousand dollar job and give it to a jerk
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Three meals a day
For which you didn't pay
A million handsome guys
With longing in their eyes
I thought that I was through with all my care and strife
But after months and months of tough civilian life
Oh, gee
I wish I was back in the Army now
The song "Gee I Wish I Was Back in the Army" is a humorous reflection on the benefits of being a soldier in the US Army, compared to the challenges of civilian life. In the first verse, the singer describes how he thought life would be easier once he was discharged, but after struggling in civilian life, he longs for the structure and comfort of army life. The second verse focuses on the social benefits, describing the availability of companionship and entertainment in the army.
The song was written by Irving Berlin, and was featured in the 1943 film "This is the Army," which was directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Ronald Reagan. The movie was a patriotic musical revue featuring soldiers and performers on stage, and became one of the highest-grossing films of the World War II era. The song was performed by Rosemary Clooney and The Mellomen, a men's vocal quartet.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was mustered out
When I was discharged from the Army
I thought without a doubt
I believed wholeheartedly
That I was through with all my care and strife
That my worries and troubles were over
I thought that I was then
I assumed that I was
The happiest of men
The most content person
But after months of tough civilian life
But after enduring several arduous months as a civilian
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
I truly desire to return to military service
The Army wasn't really bad at all
The Army was actually pretty good
Three meals a day
Three meals provided each day
For which you didn't pay
Without any required payment
Uniforms for winter, spring and fall
Clothing appropriate for each season provided
There's a lot to be said for the Army
The Army offers many benefits
The life without responsibility
The lack of personal responsibility in the Army
A soldier out of luck
An unfortunate soldier
Was really never stuck
Was never truly stranded
There's always someone higher up where you can pass the buck
There's always someone higher up to take responsibility
The Army was the place to find romance
The Army was a great place to find love
Soldiers and WACS
Male and female Army personnel
The WACS who dressed in slacks
Female Army personnel who wore pants
Dancing cheek to cheek and pants to pants
Dancing very closely together
A gal was never lost for company
A woman was never without someone to be with
A million handsome guys
Many attractive men
With longing in their eyes
Desiring love and romance
And all you had to do was pick the age, the weight, the size
All you had to do was choose a partner based on personal preferences
The shows we got civilians couldn't see
Entertainment exclusive to military personnel
How we would yell for Dietrich and Cornell
Cheering for famous performers such as Marlene Dietrich and Bing Crosby
Jolson, Hope and Benny all for free
Entertaining performances by Al Jolson, Bob Hope, and Jack Benny without any cost
The best of doctors watched you carefully
Reputable doctors provided attentive medical care
A dentist and a clerk
Both a dental professional and an administrative assistant
For weeks and weeks they'd work
Working for prolonged periods of time
They'd make a thousand dollar job and give it to a jerk
Providing excessive compensation to an unworthy person
I thought that I was through with all my care and strife
I believed that my worries and troubles were over
But after months and months of tough civilian life
But after enduring several arduous months as a civilian
Oh, gee
Expressive phrase indicating surprise or disappointment
I wish I was back in the Army now
I truly desire to return to military service
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlessamson74
When I was mustered out
I thought without a doubt
That I was through with all my care and strife
I thought that I was then
The happiest of men
But after months of tough civilian life
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
The Army wasn't really bad at all
Three meals a day
For which you didn't pay
Uniforms for winter, spring and fall
There's a lot to be said for the Army
The life without responsibility
A soldier out of luck
Was really never stuck
There's always someone higher up where you can pass the buck
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
The Army was the place to find romance
Soldiers and WACS
The WACS who dressed in slacks
Dancing cheek to cheek and pants to pants
There's a lot to be said for the Army
A gal was never lost for company
A million handsome guys
With longing in their eyes
And all you had to do was pick the age, the weight, the size
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Gee, I wish I was back in the Army
The shows we got civilians couldn't see
How we would yell for Dietrich and Cornell
Jolson, Hope and Benny all for free
[Alternate line from sheet music:
Crosby, Hope and Jolson all for free]
There's a lot to be said for the Army
The best of doctors watched you carefully
A dentist and a clerk
For weeks and weeks they'd work
They'd make a thousand dollar job and give it to a jerk
Oh, gee, I wish I was back in the Army
Three meals a day
For which you didn't pay
A million handsome guys
With longing in their eyes
I thought that I was through with all my care and strife
But after months and months of tough civilian life
Oh, gee
I wish I was back in the Army now
@NightShade1218
After all these years, I just realized the pun:
"G.I." wish I was back in the army.
@ultraviolettas
my god........how have I not realized that until you said something
@ultraviolettas
Irving Berlin was a genius. Single most important and influential composer/lyricist of the entire 20th century, god
@paolaoc95
I don't get it :(
@rcantwell161
GI is a military term, like G.I. Joe
@Ryan_Hansen
Omg 😱 now I get it 😆 clever.
@scottcarroll9201
For everyone wondering about Rosie Clooney's facial expression as she dances on to the stage, she's in character. Her character is a little nervous about how Bing's character will react to her being there.
@TralfazConstruction
Bing acted, quite well, both pleased and surprised. They both sold their characterizations very well as did the entire cast.
@Northfan42
Agreed, and there's the added layer of her being the singer of the two lead ladies, hence being less comfortable with the movement than Vera Ellen. Rosemary settles much more when she's just standing and singing, plus she recorded all the singing dubs for Vera Ellen's Judy character as well as her own.
@PaulLHunziker
@@Northfan42 I thought someone else said it was Trudy Miller who dubbed her voice?