You'll Have to Put Him to Sleep with the Marseillaise and Wake Him Up with a Oo-La-La
# You'll Have to Put Him to Sleep with the Marseillaise and Wake Him Up with a Oo-La-La

You'll Have to Put Him to Sleep with the Marseillaise and Wake Him Up with a Oo-La-La is a World War I song written in 1918. Andrew B. Sterling wrote the lyrics, and Harry Von Tilzer composed the music. The song was produced by the Harry Von Tizler Publishing Company in New York City. On the cover of the sheet music is a soldier kissing a woman. The song was written for both voice and piano.

The lyrics relay the message to American girls that US soldiers have learned "a lot of things in France," and in order to keep men interested they should adopt French mannerisms and learn how to speak French. As the title suggests, American girls should learn La Marseillaise, the French national anthem. The chorus reads:

    You'll have to do your little parlez vous
    You'll have to coo just like your French girls do
    You'll have to tease in French
    You'll have to squeeze in French
    You'll have to la la la la
    Because when you get through with Yankee Doodle Doo
    You'll have to put him to sleep with the Marseillaise
    And wake him up with a Oo-la-la
