Tommy
By Rudyard Kipling
I went into a
public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an'
sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar
they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street
again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
"Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister
Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band
begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister
Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as
sober as could be,
They gave a drunk
civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the
gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to
fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
"Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for
Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the
troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins"
when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o'
uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them
uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken
soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better
business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
"Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of
'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums
begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes"
when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red
'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in
barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our
conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in
barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
"Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front,
sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys,
there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front,
sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food
for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry
rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the
cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is
not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
"Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country"
when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an'
anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet
that Tommy sees!
To our elected representatives in Washington, D.C:
Never send Americans to fight and die in combat unless you are willing to do whatever it takes to win and to maintain the gains for freedom that have been won.
To the American people:
President Bush said that the war on terror would be a long struggle. It will take at least a generation, or even two in my opinion, to achieve the kind of victory we need to ensure that we can lead our lives in a relatively safe and peaceful way. Please do not grow weary of the struggle. Please do not elect idiots like Barack Obama who throw away the sacrifices we have made. Please do not make the war on terror into another Vietnam.
