LADY WITH THE LAMP

"Lady with the Lamp"

I don't mind, please don't misunderstand —
I know the score of war.
A soldier's life is give and give
And then they ask for more.
Walking on the picket line
Where my comrades fell,
Holding up the thin-red-line
In the shot and shell.

The lady with the lamp, You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp, She's the soldiers' friend.

I don't mind the blistering heat,
I think I can endure.
It's freezing cold and I can't feel my feet —
Well, that's the hell of war.
I never thought about the big red wound
When I saw my comrades fall.
Now I'm in this cold and lonely room
Wondering if I'll live at all.

The lady with the lamp, You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp, She's the soldiers' friend.

First they use us And then they throw us away.
Only Miss Nightingale Knows the price that we pay,

The lady with the lamp.
Excuse me please, a cup of tea,
I've such a terrible thirst.
Would you please come and sit with me,
I feel it's come to the worst.
Write my mother that I love her so,
I can't seem to hold the pen.
Take this keep-sake and send it home,
To those I'll never see again.

The lady with the lamp, You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp, She's the soldiers' friend.

She will hold his hand, Stay with him to the end.
You know she understands, She's the soldier's friend.

Summary:

Florence Nightingale’s lasting contribution has been her role in finding the modern nursing profession. She set a shining example for nurses everywhere in the world. She is nurse of compassion, commitment to patient care, and diligent and thoughtful hospital administration.

‘The Lady with the Lamp’ describes the suffering of the British soldiers in the Crimean war. It also describes what Nightingale did to help the soldiers. She was a pioneer of modern nursing, and a noted statistician known for most famous contribution came during the Crimean war.

She and her nurses found wounded soldiers being badly cared by medical staff. She felt there was official indifference in treatment. Medicines were in short supply, hygiene was neglected and man infections were common. The military hospitals were dirty and rundown. Florence made sanitary improvements which helped in bringing down the mortality rate.

Florence was generous with soldiers. She would talk with them and comfort them as she made her rounds. This boosts soldiers’ hope. When Florence made her rounds at night, she carried a lamp with her to light her way and became known as the lady with the lamp.

In this song we can perceive the hell of war. We can see that the wounded soldiers life is just give and give and then ask for more. This could be seen as Nightingales’ advocacy and work for the soldiers. The red clad British soldiers were helped by her when they were shot and wounded.

She has never minded blistering heat and freezing cold while serving them. She is there to help and comfort the soldiers.