THE KERRY RECRUT

About five years ago I was digging the land

With me brogues on me feet and me spade in me hand

The sergeant came up and he asked me to list

Says I reet o sarg stick a bob in me fist.

He says heres a shilling and I've got no more

And when we get to camp you'll be quartered for sure

Well sergeant says I well you know its a lie

You don't want to be quartered and neither do I

Well the first thing they gave me it was a red coat

With a strap of white leather to tie round me throat

They gave me a queer thing I asked them what's that

They told me it was a cockade for me hat

Well the next thing they gave me they called it a gun

With a place for my finger and one for my thumb

Well first she spat fire and then she spat smoke

And she gave a great whelp and me shoulder near broke

Well the next thing they gave me they called it an 'orse

With a leg on each corner some two feet across

I lifted my boot and I gave her the steel

And the bugger got up and she showed my her heel

The first place they took us was down to the quay

All aboard of a big ship bound for the Crimea

Thee sticks in the middle all bound up with sheets

And she walks on the water with out any feet

The general comes up he's a man of great fame

He asks me my country so I telled him my name

I've telled him before and I'll tell him again

Me father and mother are two Kerry men

Well me five years are up and I'm glad its not ten

I'll go back to Trallee and dig praties again

I'll put on me brogues and shake hands with me spade

I recon this fightings a bloody bad trade