Cover art for Adieu to a Soldier by Walt Whitman

Adieu to a Soldier

1 viewer

Adieu to a Soldier Lyrics

Adieu O soldier,
You of the rude campaigning, (which we shared,)
The rapid march, the life of the camp,
The hot contention of opposing fronts, the long manoeuvre,
Red battles with their slaughter, the stimulus, the strong terrific game,
Spell of all brave and manly hearts, the trains of time through you
        and like of you all fill'd,
With war and war's expression.

Adieu dear comrade,
Your mission is fulfill'd—but I, more warlike,
Myself and this contentious soul of mine,
Still on our own campaigning bound,
Through untried roads with ambushes opponents lined,
Through many a sharp defeat and many a crisis, often baffled,
Here marching, ever marching on, a war fight out—aye here,
To fiercer, weightier battles give expression.

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Have the inside scoop on this song?
Sign up and drop some knowledge

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

  1. 104.
    Tears
  2. 116.
    Gods
  3. 117.
    Germs
  4. 131.
    Thought
  5. 181.
    Adieu to a Soldier
  6. 215.
    Kosmos
  7. 218.
    Tests
  8. 253.
    Faces
  9. 263.
    Mediums
  10. 285.
    Portals
  11. 320.
    Life
  12. 366.
    Osceola
  13. 371.
    Mirages
Comments