[Sheet music] Just a khaki soldier and a little maid

Sheet music for the song 'Just a khaki soldier and a little maid', with lyrics and music composed by 'Victoria'. The lyrics and melody were written on 27 December 1914, by Lily Bell under the nom de plume 'Victoria'. The piano accompaniment was written by the composer James E. Dodd after being commissioned by Bell for the sum of 30 shillings. This copy of the original handwritten score includes the melody line and piano accompaniment with the words of the song written above and below the melody line.

Lily Bell was from Hawksburn in Melbourne, and registered the copyright of the song on 2 March 1915. She paid James Dodd 30 shillings for the ‘special arrangement of piano part of song ‘Just a khaki soldier’.’ Interestingly, this letter included an annotation by Dodd’s in which he forfeited all rights in the song. On the official form Bell gave her address as 74 Westbury Street, St Kilda, but it appears that at the time the song was composed she was living in Glenferrie, while Dodd was residing at 295 Smith Street in Fitzroy.


Towards the bottom of this page is a sound recording of this sheet music, or a parody, that was created as part of the Music and the First World War project. More information about this recording, including names of the performers, can be found on the catalogue record for the sound recording. A link to the catalogue record for the sound recording can be found at the bottom of this page, under the heading ‘Related objects’ where it can be identified with the prefix [sound recording].