[May 
  9 
1874]
Sung with great success
by
Benj[amin]. Dodge
the
popular character singer.
"Major Ben" [9 May 1874]
Comic Song
Words by
Benj[amin]. Dodge.
Music by
Geo[rge]. W. Persley.

Cincinnati, OH: John Church & Co., 66 W. Fourth St.
Boston, MA: O. Ditson & Co.
Chicago, IL: Root & Sons, Music Co.
N. York, NY: W. A. Pond & Co.
[Plate No.] 2183.4
[Source:1874-13691@Levy]

1. No doubt you have heard of “DeWellington Boots,”
And Rifle, the ensign so bold,
And brave Captain Jinks of the great Horse Marines,
A thousand times you have been told
You also have heard then of Blinks, of the Staff,
And of hundreds of that class of men,
Bugt really there’s none of them that can compare,
With the stylish and brave Major Ben.

CHORUS [sung after each VERSE]
The pet of the girls, and the pride of the force,
The bravest of all of the men,
Respected and honored by all, of course,
Is the stylish and brave Major Ben.

2. Each morning as I take a stroll through the Park,
Dressed up in my uniform gay,
The ladies will all strive to look very sweet,
And I find them there ev’ry day,
They simper and giggle as I pass them by,
Which shows that to them I am dear,
And the Broadway swells are all thrown in the shade,
Whenever the Major is near.

(Spoken, after 2nd Verse.)
Oh, yes, whenever the Major appears, all
the lesser lights sink into insignificance, and I am sure to have
everything my own way, which of course is quite proper, seeing
that I am ...

3. To keep up my place I of course have to boast
Of fights in which I’ve took a hand,
But then what I say is a pack of white lies,
For a fire I never could stand,
Though I never have been on a grim battle field,
I have plenty of scars to show,
And am pointed out as the warrior bold,
Wherever I happen to go.

(Soken, after the 3rd Verse.)
Oh, yes, indeed, I of course have to do a little
boasting to retain my place in the affections of the fair sex. Now I
have a terrible scar on my right arm which I am very certain to boast
of as received on the battle field; of course it would not do to acknowl
edge that I never was in a fight, and that scar is the result of a dog’s
bite, for then I should certainly be snubbed by all, and would no
longer be ...