The Singing Soldiers Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABACC D DE CCFGFHH IIGI G AAGAAA JJGJAA KK KLL AA AAA JJCJBB MMGMNN CCBCOO BBBC GGAGAA| 'When I'm sittin' in me dug out wiv me rifle on me knees | A |
| An' a yowlin' 'owlin' chorus comes a floatin' up the breeze | A |
| Jist a bit o' 'Bonnie Mary' or 'Long Way to Tipperary' | B |
| Then I know I'm in Australia took an' planted overseas | A |
| They've bin up agin it solid since we crossed the flamin' foam | C |
| But they're singin' alwiz singin' since we left the wharf at 'ome | C |
| - | |
| 'O it's 'On the Mississippi' or 'Me Grey 'Ome in the West ' | - |
| If it's death an' 'ell nex' minute they must git it orf their chest | D |
| 'Ere's a snatch o' 'When yer Roamin' When yer Roamin' in the Gloamin' ' | - |
| 'Struth The first time that I 'eard it wiv me 'ead on Rosie's breast | D |
| We wus comin' frum a picnic in a Ferntree Gully train | E |
| But the shrapnel made the music when I 'eard it sung again ' | - |
| - | |
| So I gits it straight frum Ginger in 'is letter 'ome to me | C |
| On a dirty scrap o' paper wiv the writin' 'ard to see | C |
| 'Strike ' sez 'e 'It sounds like skitin' but they're singin' while | F |
| they're fightin' | G |
| An' they socks it into Abdul to the toon o' 'Nancy Lee' | F |
| An' I seen a bloke this mornin' wiv 'is arm blown to a rag | H |
| 'Ummin' 'Break the Noos to Mother' w'ile 'e sucked a soothin' fag | H |
| - | |
| 'Now the British Tommy curses an' the French does fancy stunts | I |
| An' the Turk 'e 'owls to Aller an' the Gurkha grins an' grunts | I |
| But our boys is singin' singin' while the blinded shells is flingin' | G |
| Mud an' death inter the trenches in them 'eavens called the Fronts | I |
| An' I guess their souls keep singin' when they gits the tip to go ' | - |
| So I gits it straight frum Ginger an' Gawstruth 'e ort to know | G |
| - | |
| An' 'is letter gits me thinkin' when I read sich tales as these | A |
| An' I takes a look around me at the paddicks an' the trees | A |
| When I 'ears the thrushes trillin' when I 'ear the magpies fillin' | G |
| All the air frum earth to 'eaven wiv their careless melerdies | A |
| It's the sunshine uv the country caught an' turned to bonzer notes | A |
| It's the sunbeams changed to music pourin' frum a thousand throats | A |
| - | |
| Can a soljer 'elp 'is singin' when 'e's born in sich a land | J |
| Wiv the sunshine an' the music pourin' out on ev'ry 'and | J |
| Where the very air is singin' an' each breeze that blows is bringin' | G |
| 'Armony an' mirth an' music fit to beat the 'blazin' band | J |
| On the march an' in the trenches when a swingin' chorus starts | A |
| They are pourin' bottled sunshine of their 'Omeland frum their 'earts | A |
| - | |
| O I've 'eard it Lord I've 'eard it since the days when I wus young | K |
| On the beach an' in the bar room in the bush I've 'eard it sung | K |
| 'Belle Mahone' an' 'Annie Laurie ' 'Sweet Marie' to 'Tobermory ' | - |
| Common toons and common voices but I've 'eard 'em when they rung | K |
| Wiv full 'appy 'earts be'ind 'em careless as a thrush's song | L |
| Wiv me arm around me cliner an' me notions fur frum wrong | L |
| - | |
| So they growed wiv 'earts a singin' since the days uv careless kids | A |
| Beefin' out an 'appy chorus jist when Mother Nacher bids | A |
| Singin' wiv their notes a quiver 'Down upon the Swanee River ' | - |
| Them's sich times I'd not be sellin' fer a stack uv golden quids | A |
| An' they're singin' still they're singin' to the sound uv guns an' drums | A |
| As they sung one golden Springtime underneath the wavin' gums | A |
| - | |
| When they socked it to the Southland wiv our sunny boys aboard | J |
| Them that stopped a dam torpeder an' a knock out punch wus scored | J |
| Tho' their 'ope o' life grew murky wiv the ship 'ead over turkey | C |
| Dread o' death an' fear o' drownin' wus jist trifles they ignored | J |
| They spat out the blarsted ocean an' they filled 'emselves wiv air | B |
| An' they passed along the chorus of 'Australia will be There' | B |
| - | |
| Yes they sung it in the water an' a bloke aboard a ship | M |
| Sez 'e knoo they wus Australians be the way thev give it lip | M |
| Sung it to the soothin' motion of the dam devourin' ocean | G |
| Like a crowd o' seaside trippers in to 'ave a little dip | M |
| When I 'card that tale I tell yeh straight I sort o' felt a choke | N |
| Fer I seemed to 'ear 'em singin' an' I know that sort o' bloke | N |
| - | |
| Yes I know 'im so I seen 'im barrackin' Eternity | C |
| An' the land that 'e wus born in is the land that mothered me | C |
| Strike I ain't no sniv'lin' blighter but I own me eyes git brighter | B |
| When I see 'em pokin' mullock at the everlastin' sea | C |
| When I 'ear 'em mockin' terror wiv a merry slab o' mirth | O |
| 'Ell I'm proud I bin to gaol in sich a land as give 'em birth | O |
| - | |
| 'When I'm sittin' in me dug out wiv the bullets droppin' near ' | - |
| Writes ole Ginger 'an' a chorus smacks me in the flamin' ear | B |
| P'raps a song that Rickards billed or p'raps a line o' Waltz Matilder' | B |
| Then I feel I'm in Australia took an' shifted over 'ere | B |
| Till the music sort o' gits me an' I lets me top notes roam | C |
| While I treats the gentle foeman to a chunk uv 'Ome Sweet 'Ome' ' | - |
| - | |
| They wus singin' on the troopship they wus singin' in the train | G |
| When they left their land be'ind 'em they wus shoutin' a refrain | G |
| An' I'll bet they 'ave a chorus gay an' glad in greetin' for us | A |
| When their bit uv scappin's over an' they lob back 'ome again | G |
| An' the blokes that ain't returnin' blokes that's paid the biggest price | A |
| They go singin' singin' singin' to the Gates uv Paradise | A |
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
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