Key: C major•
Verse 1
C
Hiya, fellas.
This is Ethel Merman.
I'm gonna sing a song for
V -Discs
that I know all you G .I .s
will really appreciate.
It was written by Private Frank Lesser,
and it's called,
Why Do They Call a Private a Private?
Well, now, let me tell
you all about it.
F
C
And please, don't crowd.
F
C
Gm
Csus4
C
F
["Why Do They
Call a Corporal a Corporal?"
C
F
C
because he's got two stripes an d I
F
know why they call a sergeant a sergeant
C
Fm
because he always gripes yes
A
E
A
I know almost all the military type
Gm
C
F
why do they call a private a private
C
when each night is a public event
F
Eb
C
the Pennsylvania Station,
F
Dm
that crossroads of the nation
G
Has nothing on a regular
Verse 2
C
army tent
Gm
They snore and snore and
Verse 3
Eb
snore all night
Gm
They drop their shoes, they light the light
Dm
It's heck to
Verse 4
G
have to smell a regiment
C
Have you been marching
F
Why
Verse 5
C
D
do they call a private a private
Verse 6
Gm
C
F
Abdim
When each night is a public event
C
F
Why do they call a private, a private,
G
C
when there's nothing more
F
public on earth?
F#dim
Gm
Take military travel,
C
F
Dm
it makes your nerves unravel,
G
the army's really getting its
C
money's worth.
Gm
Eb
In any other walk of life,
you'd think that you were man and wife,
C
Dm
the way you've got a share,
G
C
a low of birth, your feet are icy.
F
D
Oh, why do they call a private a private
Gm
C
when there's nothing for public honor?
F
Abdim
C
Now,
F
C
F
why do they call a private a private
C
when his life is a public affair?
F
F#dim
Gm
C
A hundred other rookies
F
Dm
enjoy his mother's cookies
G
and read his mail and borrow
his underwear.
C
Gm
Eb
And every time he's gotta go,
a fella's gotta go, you know
Verse 7
Dm
G
With sev en other fellas
C
sittin' there
Verse 8
G
He's got my collars
F
C
D
Why do they call a private a private
F
Gm
C
When his life is a public affair
F
Verse 9
Abdim
C
F
Why do they call a
C
F
private a private
C
F
When he's only a public G .I.
F#dim
Gm
G
C
They ought to call him Rover
F
Dm
He slides and flees all over
G
C
There's always lots of company for a guy
Gm
Eb
And if he ever gets a shower
Dm
He's gotta wait on line an hour
It's murder if he's
G
C
modest and he's shy
The joint is crowded
F
D
Oh, and they call a private a private
C
when he's only a public
F
C
G .I.
F
C
F
Why do they call a private a private
G
C
F
when his life is a public affair?
F#dim
Gm
The whole United Nation
C
F
Dm
s can hear his conversations
G
and read his mail and borrow his underwear.
C
Gm
Eb
And if he finds a local wench
and puts her on a quiet bench
Dm
Three other guys from
G
C
Yank are waiting there
Verse 10
To take the picture
F
C
D
A private, a private, private
Gm
C
F
When his life is a public affair
Go see the chaplain
Gm
C
F
Bb
F
His life is a public affair
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TunerE A D G B E
ChordsC F Gm Csus4 Fm...
C
F
Gm
Csus4
Fm
A
E
Eb
Dm
G
D
Abdim
F#dim
Bb
Capo: No capo
Transpose: 0
0
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