The French soldiers of the 19eme used to sing to keep their morale up and feel less homesick. Below are links to the lyrics and audio of their songs. Some of them are famous, like La Marseillaise, which was adopted during the French Revolution, banned by Napoleon and then restored as the French national anthem in the late 19th Century.
Lyrics:
French Songs Lyrics (PDF)
Veillons au Salut de l’Empire (PDF)
Videos of Songs:
French soldiers singing French songs:
La Marseillaise (with lyrics in French and English):
La Chanson du Depart:
Veillons au Salut de l’Empire:
Aupres de ma Blonde:
Ca Ira:
La Chanson de l’Oignon:
Fanchon:
La Carmagnole:
Historical Re-Enactment Group of Malta 