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Sheet music to "Goodbye Dolly Gray" Vintage Audio: Goodbye Dolly Gray
Updated - Saturday, 15 November, 2003

Available below is a 1901 recording of the Boer War sentimental favourite Goodbye Dolly Gray. An extract of the song's lyrics are also provided.

The song was written by Will D. Cobb (lyrics) and Paul Barnes (music). Although it gained widespread fame during the Boer War it had earlier been sung in the U.S. during the U.S.-Spanish War of 1898. The song saw renewed airings with the onset of the First World War in 1914.

Click here to listen to a vintage rendition of the song performed by the hugely popular Canadian singer Harry MacDonough in 1901 (MP3 format 699kb).

Goodbye Dolly Gray

I have come to say goodbye, Dolly Gray,
It's no use to ask me why, Dolly Gray,
There's a murmur in the air, you can hear it everywhere,
It's the time to do and dare, Dolly Gray.

So if you hear the sound of feet, Dolly Gray,
Sounding through the village street, Dolly Gray,
It's the tramp of soldiers' true in their uniforms so blue,
I must say goodbye to you, Dolly Gray.

Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go,
Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe,
See - the boys in blue are marching and I can no longer stay,
Hark - I hear the bugle calling, goodbye Dolly Gray.

By 1918 the percentage of women to men working in Britain had risen to 37% from 24% at the start of the war.