They declare their joy in the chorus, oblivious to the humor of the song's title: Did you see my little Jimmy marching with the soldiers up the avenue?

[3] The lyrics are in line with the musical trend of ethnic humor in early World War I war songs, as Jimmy's unaware mother is made distinctly Irish by her mention to St Patrick's Day and the stereotype of heavy drinking during celebration.

[2] Various printings of the score featured the following singers: Miss Queenie Williams, The Dream Girls, and Mabelle Sherman & Arthur Littry.

Almagor asked him for more details during the break, but Halkin remembered it very vaguely and assumed it was about the mother of a Confederate States Army soldier instead.

Thus, for nearly six months after the lecture, Almagor fervently looked for the song, until Moshe Wilensky told him he could simply write one of his own based on the same premise.