A WWI song from 1918
Words by John Arnold
Music by Harry Baisden
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- Merry Molly Winston
As bright as she was winsome
Was decidedly the nicest girl in town
Old man William Wilson
With a million bucks and then some
Had marked Miss Merry Molly for his own
He proposed a trip to Denver
Had the “Jack” was Jake to spend ‘er
Was ripe for anything that she’d decide
But to all his many offers
To open up his coffers
Miss Molly only smilingly replied
Chorus
Meet me at the Red Cross Ball
No other place will do at all
Sister Susie’s sewing comf’ kits
Aunt Maria’s knitting wristlets
The butler does a ’bout face down the hall
Everybody has their bit to do
If they’re twenty-one or eighty-two
If you can’t take a gun and fight ’em
Dance the Dollar Dip and smite ’em
Just meet me at the Red Cross Ball
- Old man William Wilson
As a young buck sure could go some
At the Dollar dip Rheumatics laid him flat
Tho’ his love still flourished
With an ardor undiminished
He decided to retain his Batch’lor flat
Next came young Percy Knight-Mills
With a roll as big as old Bill’s
Who dodged the draft behind a dollar mark
But to proffered girlie girl shows
Cabarets and fancy menus
Miss Molly tersely tendered this remark
Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: