Life, 1919-10-23 · page 23 of 36
Life — October 23, 1919 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life magazine (likely WWI-era based on military references) satirizes military life and the soldier's experience. The main poem "Once a Soldier—" presents a regular soldier reflecting on seven years of service, expressing the paradox of military life: he complains about the hardships and longs to leave, yet simultaneously cannot imagine civilian life. The refrain "For soldierin' is soldierin'" suggests the appeal and addiction of military service despite its difficulties. The bottom section features a playwright-manager dialogue mocking theatrical conventions—the manager worries about producing an original comedy while the playwright dismisses concerns about novelty, suggesting the predictability of stage humor. The three illustrations depict soldier life and domestic comedy, likely supporting these themes about routine, predictability, and the soldier's struggle between military and civilian identities. The overall message critiques both military culture and entertainment formulas as repetitive and inescapable.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Once a Soldier— { HAVE been a reg'lar soldier Seven ro: n’ years, m’ friend, An’ I never ed a Greaser, An’ I never wen France, Never even been a corporal, An’ my hitch is nigh to « But T hates to peel the le An’ shed my khaki p For soldierin’ is soldi We know it dev'lis! An‘ th Ti army is the pude h we often say An’ it frets y" But it gets y"! Why—y" can't exactly tell When I gets to be a “ civ I suppose that I'll be ¢ h the id rracks is the nearest he boys'll go to Mexico a pot of tun; be in an ¢ I wish I wasn't done! For soldierin’ is soldierin’-— A lure y’ can't resist; army is the pu HE MANAGER: 1 wou he risk of produc n't run ig your ¢ The trouble with it is the idea nedy. Praywricnt: Has it been done be- fore? “No, ith “DAREDEVIL DAN,” THE BOMB EXPERT, M1899 !—anb ENTER, MRS. SMITH, comicbooks.com