Early one November me Uncle Tommy joined the army,
Kitted him out for danger & ferried him o'er the sea,
He threw me o'er his shoulder, sang to me a dirty ditty,
Telling me when I were older you'll be just like me,
A half a bottle o' whisky, tattoo of a pretty lady,
Half a dozen Havana's & his Aunties rosary,
A-thunderin' oe'r the border, guns a-blazin', hells a-raisin',
Here I am ya bastards, ye'll no be havin' me!
Tommy was a rifle, Tommy was a razor,
Tommy was a ramblin' man,
A silver blade in the dyin' shade,
Oor Tommy was a fightin' man!
The following December he sent a card to Auntie Annie,
Tellin' her he were frozen half to death upon a hill,
Sick o' the sound o' trash cans, kickin' in doors on dear old ladies,
Sick o' the screamin' babies, he had lost the bottle tae kill.
♪
He earn't his scars in German bars,
And breakin' the hearts o' the maids o' Norway,
Trained his guns upon the Huns,
And boxed the sons o' proud old Galway,
Tommy was a rifle, Tommy was a razor,
Tommy was a Ramblin' man,
Quick with a pound when yer luck was down,
Oor Tommy was a Jerry can.
♪
Early one November me Uncle Tommy left the army,
Stripped him o' his regalia & ferried him o'er the main,
He took me by the shoulder, sang to me a dirty ditty,
Bastard's only love ye when ye're shootin' at yer ain!