# The Song from the End of "The Paths of Glory"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-from-the-end-of-the-paths-of-glory/198535>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 29, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-from-the-end-of-the-paths-of-glory/198535 "2003-08-29T23:39:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-from-the-end-of-the-paths-of-glory/198535/1 "2003-08-29T23:39:13Z")

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What is it? Why do the French know the tune (I assume this has to do with the cultural exchange between the two neighboring countries)? What are the words to it?

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**Author:** ![Nanook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nanook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-song-from-the-end-of-the-paths-of-glory/198535/2 "2003-08-31T01:39:39Z")

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The song is a German folk tune called “Soldier Boy,” as familiar to Europeans as Frere Jacques (but not in the US, apparently). I don’t know what the lyrics say but the singer later became Mrs. Kubrick, who to this day maintains the Stanley Kubrick web site.