Vintage Audio: Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts
Updated - Sunday, 6 April, 2003

Reproduced below are the lyrics to the popular 1914 tongue-twister song Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts, penned by R. P. Weston with music by Herman Darewski.

Performed widely, one of its more notable vocalists was Al Jolson, who recorded his take on the song in 1916.  Available here is a version performed by Jack Charman in 1914 (MP3 Format 755kb).

Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts

Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts For Soldiers
Sister Susie's sewing in the kitchen on a "Singer",
There's miles and miles of flannel on the floor
And up the stairs,
And father says it's rotten getting mixed up with the cotton,
And sitting on the needles that she leaves upon the chairs.

And should you knock at our street door
Ma whispers, "Come inside."
Then when you ask where Susie is,
She says with loving pride:

(fast)
"Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers
Such skill at sewing shirts
Our shy young sister Susie shows!

Some soldiers send epistles,
Say they'd sooner sleep in thistles
Than the saucy, soft, short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."

Piles and piles and piles of shirts she sends out to the soldiers,
And sailors won't be jealous when they see them,
Not at all.
And when we say her stitching will set all the soldiers itching,
She says our soldiers fight best when their back's against the wall.

And little brother Gussie, he who lisps when he says "yes",
Says "Where's the cotton gone from off my kite?
Oh, I can gueth!"

(faster)
"Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers
Such skill at sewing shirts
Our shy young sister Susie shows!

Some soldiers send epistles,
Say they'd sooner sleep in thistles
Than the saucy, soft, short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."

I forgot to tell you that our sister Susie's married,
And when she isn't sewing shirts
She's sewing other things.
Then little sister Molly says,
"Oh, sister's bought a dolly.
She's making all the clothes for it
With pretty bows and strings."

Says Susie:
"Don't be silly"
As she she blushes and she sighs.
Then mother smiles and whispers with a twinkle in her eyes:

(even faster)
"Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers
Such skill at sewing shirts
Our shy young sister Susie shows!

Some soldiers send epistles,
Say they'd sooner sleep in thistles
Than the saucy, soft, short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."

(Breakneck Speed Finale)
"Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers
Such skill at sewing shirts
Our shy young sister Susie shows!

Some soldiers send epistles,
Say they'd sooner sleep in thistles
Than the saucy, soft, short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews."

A "Dixie" (from the Hindi degci) was an army cooking pot.

Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-07, SafeSurf Rated