Peerless Quartet — My Dream of the Big Parade

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