What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From the ancient city of Prague ?
From Prague came a pair of high heeled shoes,
With a kiss or two came the high heeled shoes
From the ancient city of Prague.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From Oslo over the sound ?
From Oslo he sent her a collar of fur,
How it pleases her, the little collar of fur
From Oslo over the sound.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From the wealth of Amsterdam ?
From Amsterdam, he got her a hat,
She looked sweet in that,
In her little Dutch hat
From the wealth of Amsterdam.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From Brussels in Belgian land ?
From Brussels he sent her the laces so rare
To have and to wear,
All those laces so rare
From Brussels in Belgian land.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From Paris, city of light ?
From Paris he sent her a silken gown,
It was ended in town, that silken gown,
From Paris, city of light.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From the South, from Bucharest ?
From Bucharest he got her this shirt
Embroidered and pert, that Rumanian shirt
From the South, from Bucharest.

What was sent to the soldier’s wife
From the far-off Russian land ?
From Russia there came just a widow’s veil
For her dead to bewail in her widow’s veil
From the far-off Russian land,
From the far-off Russian land.

• Polly Jean Harvey bio
• Polly Jean Harvey discography