«Barrack-Room Ballads». 48. The Instructor. Non-Commissioned Officers of the Line At times when under cover I ’ave said, To keep my spirits up an' raise a laugh, ’Earin 'im pass so busy over-’ead – Old Nickel-Neck, ’oo isn't on the Staff – “There’s one above is greater than us all.” Before ’im I ’ave seen my Colonel fall, An’ watched ’im write my Captain’s epitaph, So that a long way off it could be read – He ’as the knack o’ makin’ men feel small – Old Whistle Tip, ’oo isn’t on the Staff. There is no sense in fleein’ (I ’ave fled), Better go on an’ do the belly-crawl, An’ ’ope’ ’e’ll ’it some other man instead Of you ’e seems to ’unt so speshual – Fitzy van Spitz, ’oo isn’t on the Staff. An’ thus in mem’ry’s cinematograph, Now that the show is over, I recall The peevish voice an’ ’oary mushroom ’ead Of ’im we owned was greater than us all, ’Oo give instruction to the quick an’ the dead – The Shudderin’ Beggar – not upon the Staff! |
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