Driver Smith Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEBB FFGG HHII JJKK LLMN OOAA AAPP DDPP QQRR LLPS DDTT HHAA| 'Twas Driver Smith of Battery A was anxious to see a fight | A |
| He thought of the Transvaal all the day he thought of it all the night | A |
| Well if the battery's left behind I'll go to the war says he | B |
| I'll go a driving and ambulance in the ranks of the A M C | B |
| - | |
| I'm fairly sick of these here parades it's want of a change that kills | C |
| A charging the Randwick Rifle Range and aiming at Surry Hills | C |
| And I think if I go with the ambulance I'm certain to find a show | D |
| For they have to send the Medical men wherever the troops can go | D |
| - | |
| Wherever the rifle bullets flash and the Maxims raise a din | E |
| It's here you'll find the Medical men a raking the wounded in | E |
| A raking 'em in like human flies and a driver smart like me | B |
| Will find some scope for his extra skill in the ranks of the A M C | B |
| - | |
| So Driver Smith he went to war a cracking his driver's whip | F |
| From ambulance to collecting base they showed him his regular trip | F |
| And he said to the boys that were marching past as he gave his whip a crack | G |
| You'll walk yourselves to the fight says he Lord spare me I'll drive you back | G |
| - | |
| Now the fight went on in the Transvaal hills for the half of a day or more | H |
| And Driver Smith he worked his trip all aboard for the seat of war | H |
| He took his load from the stretcher men and hurried 'em homeward fast | I |
| Till he heard a sound that he knew full well a battery rolling past | I |
| - | |
| He heard the clink of the leading chains and the roll of the guns behind | J |
| He heard the crack of the drivers' whips and he says to 'em Strike me blind | J |
| I'll miss me trip with this ambulance although I don't care to shirk | K |
| But I'll take the car off the line today and follow the guns at work | K |
| - | |
| Then up the Battery Colonel came a cursing 'em black in the face | L |
| Sit down and shift 'e you drivers there and gallop 'em into place | L |
| So off the Battery rolled and swung a going a merry dance | M |
| And holding his own with the leading gun goes Smith with his ambulance | N |
| - | |
| They opened fire on the mountain side a peppering by and large | O |
| When over the hill above their flank the Boers came down at the charge | O |
| They rushed the guns with a daring rush a volleying left and right | A |
| And Driver Smith and his ambulance moved up to the edge of the fight | A |
| - | |
| The gunners stuck to their guns like men and fought as the wild cats fight | A |
| For a Battery man don't leave his gun with ever a hope in sight | A |
| But the bullets sang and the Mausers cracked and the Battery men gave away | P |
| Till Driver Smith with his ambulance drove into the thick of the fray | P |
| - | |
| He saw the head of the Transvaal troop a thundering to and fro | D |
| A hard old face with a monkey beard a face that he seemed to know | D |
| Now who's that leader said Driver Smith I've seen him before today | P |
| Why bless my heart but it's Kruger's self and he jumped for him straight away | P |
| - | |
| He collared old Kruger round the waist and hustled him into the van | Q |
| It wasn't according to stretcher drill for raising a wounded man | Q |
| But he forced him in and said All aboard we're off for a little ride | R |
| And you'll have the car to yourself says he I reckon we're full inside | R |
| - | |
| He wheeled his team on the mountain side and set 'em a merry pace | L |
| A galloping over the rocks and stones and a lot of the Boers gave chase | L |
| Bur Driver Smith had a fairish start and he said to the Boers Good day | P |
| You have Buckley's chance for to catch a man that was trained in Battery A | S |
| - | |
| He drove his team to the hospital bed and said to the P M O | D |
| Beg pardon sir but I missed the trip mistaking the way to go | D |
| And Kruger came to the ambulance and asked could we spare a bed | T |
| So I fetched him here and we'll take him home to show for a bob a head | T |
| - | |
| So the word went round to the English troops to say they need fight no more | H |
| For Driver Smith with his ambulance had ended the blooming war | H |
| And in London now at the music halls he's starring it every night | A |
| And drawing a hundred pounds a week to tell how he won the fight | A |
Banjo Paterson (andrew Barton)
(1)
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