Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Girl of the U.S.A.

Oh! the maidens of France are certainly fine,
   And I think every fellow will state
That the ’what-you-may-call-it’ coiffured way
   They put up their hair is great!
And they know how to dress, and they wear their clothes
   In a fetching, Frenchy way;
And yet to me, there is just one girl-
   The girl of the U.S.A.

I like to listen when French girls talk,
   Though I’m weak in the ’parlez-vous’ game;
But the language of youth in every land
   Is somehow about the same,
And I’ve learned a regular code of shrugs,
   And they seem to know what I say!
But the girl whose voice goes straight to my heart
   Is the girl of the U.S.A.

I haven’t a word but words of praise
   For these dear little girls of France;
And I will confess that I’ve felt a thrill
   As I faced their line of advance!
But I haven’t been taken a prisoner yet,
   And I won’t be, until the day
When I carry my colours to lay at the feet
   Of a girl of the U.S.A.

1. The Birth of the Orchid
2. The Call (All wantonly in hours of joy)
3. Be Not Attached
4. Behold the Earth
5. The Black Charger

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