Goodbye Mama (I'm Off to Yokohama)

Performed by Teddy Powell and his Orchestra; V ocals by Peggy Mann, Dick Judge and Chorus
Recorded December 16, 1941
Written by J. Fred Coots

Johnny was a soldier boy who never looked for scraps
But this young buckaroo
Was Yankee thru and thru
Then Johnny heard our country called to arms against the Japs
And as he marched away
His buddies heard him say

Goodbye mama
I'm off to Yokohama
For the red, white, and blue
My country and you.
Goodbye mama
I'm off to Yokohama
Just to teach all those Japs
The Yanks are no saps
A million fightin' sons-of-Uncle Sam, if you please
Will soon have all those Japs right down on their Japa-knees
So goodbye mama
I'm off to Yokohama
For my country, my flag, and you.

Goodbye to mama.
We're off to Yokohama.
So be brave and be strong,
You won't be gone long.
Goodbye bye-bye mama,
The land of Yama-Yama,
Until April, I guess,
Will be our address.
Tell dad I plan a big surprise, nobody knows
I'll bring him back a Jap valet to care for his clothes
Goodbye mama
I'm off to Yokohama
For my country, my flag, and you.

We're learning jujitsu, where you kick with the feet
We'll Kick'em in their Tokyo and watch'em retreat

[lyrics transcribed by listening. Send corrections via the contact link on the main page]