Why Do They Call A Private A Private? Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
Hiya, [C]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.
And please, don't [F]crowd.[C]
[F][C][Gm][Csus4][C]
["Why [F]Do They
Call a Corporal a Corporal?"
be[C]cause he's got two stripes [F]an [C]d I
[F]know why they call a sergeant a sergeant
be[C]cause he always gripes [Fm]yes
[A]I know almost all[E] the military[A] type
why [Gm]do t[C]hey [F]call a private a private
when each [C]night is a public event
[F]the [Eb]Pennsylvania [C]Station,
that [F]crossroads [Dm]of the nation
[G]Has nothing on a regular

[Verse 2]
army [C]tent
They [Gm]snore and snore and

[Verse 3]
[Eb]
snore all night
They drop their shoes, they light the [Gm]light
It's [Dm]heck to

[Verse 4]
have to [G]smell a regiment
[C]Have you been marching
[F]Why

[Verse 5]
do they call a [C]private [D]a private

[Verse 6]
When each [Gm]night is a [C]public [F]event[Abdim]
[C]Why do [F]they call a private, a private,
when [G]there's [C]nothing more
public on [F]earth?
[F#dim]Take mili[Gm]tary travel,
[C]it mak[F]es your ner[Dm]ves unravel,
the [G]army's really getting its
money's [C]worth.
In [Gm]any other walk [Eb]of life,
you'd think that you were man and wife,
[C]the way[Dm] you've got a share,
[G]a low of [C]birth, your feet are icy.
[F]Oh, why do they call a private [D]a private
when there's [Gm]nothing for [C]public honor?
[F]Now[Abdim],[C]
[F]why do they call a private [C]a p[F]rivate
when his [C]life is a public affair?
[F]A h[F#dim]undred othe[Gm]r rookie[C]s
en[F]joy his [Dm]mother's cookies
and [G]read his mail and borrow
his underwear.
[C]And [Gm]every [Eb]time he's gotta go,
a fella's gotta go, you know

[Verse 7]
With [Dm]sev en other [G]fellas
[C]sittin' there

[Verse 8]
He's got my [G]collars
[F]Why do they call a private [C]a p[D]rivate
[F]When [Gm]his life is a [C]public affair
[F]

[Verse 9]
[Abdim]Why do th[C]ey call[F] a
private [C]a p[F]rivate
When he's [C]only a public G [F].I.
[F#dim]They ough[Gm]t to call[G] him Rover[C]
He [F]slides and flees [Dm]all over
There's [G]always lots of company for a [C]guy
And if he [Gm]ever gets [Eb]a shower
He's gotta wait on line an [Dm]hour
It's murder if he's
[G]modest and he's [C]shy
The joint is crowded
[F]Oh, and they call a private [D]a private
when he's only [C]a public
[F]G .I.[C]
[F]Why do they call a [C]private a [F]private
when [G]his [C]life is a public af[F]fair?
[F#dim]The whole Unite[Gm]d Nation
[C]s can [F]hear his conversa[Dm]tions
and [G]read his mail and borrow his underwear.
[C]And i[Gm]f he finds a local [Eb]wench
and puts her on a quiet bench
Three [Dm]other guys from
[G]Yank are waiting [C]there

[Verse 10]
To take the picture
[F]A private, [C]a p[D]rivate, private
When his life [Gm]is a p[C]ublic af[F]fair
Go see the chaplain
[Gm]His life is a pub[C]lic affair[F][Bb][F]