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| WHEN you’ve shouted “Rule Britannia,” when you’ve sung “God save the Queen,” | |
| When you’ve finished killing Kruger with your mouth, | |
| Will you kindly drop a shilling in my little tambourine | |
| For a gentleman in kharki ordered South? | |
| He’s an absent-minded beggar, and his weaknesses are great— | 5 |
| But we and Paul must take him as we find him— | |
| He is out on active service, wiping something off a slate— | |
| And he’s left a lot of little things behind him! | |
| Duke’s son—cook’s son—son of a hundred kings— | |
| (Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay!) | 10 |
| Each of ’em doing his country’s work | |
| (and who’s to look after their things?) | |
| Pass the hat for your credit’s sake, | |
| and pay—pay—pay! | |
| |
| There are girls he married secret, asking no permission to, | 15 |
| For he knew he wouldn’t get it if he did. | |
| There is gas and coals and vittles, and the house-rent falling due, | |
| And it’s more than rather likely there’s a kid. | |
| There are girls he walked with casual. They’ll be sorry now he’s gone, | |
| For an absent-minded beggar they will find him, | 20 |
| But it ain’t the time for sermons with the winter coming on. | |
| We must help the girl that Tommy’s left behind him! | |
| Cook’s son—duke’s son—son of a belted earl— | |
| Son of a Lambeth publican—it’s all the same to-day! | |
| Each of ’em doing his country’s work | 25 |
| (and who’s to look after the girl?) | |
| Pass the hat for your credit’s sake, | |
| and pay—pay—pay! | |
| |
| There are families by thousands, far too proud to beg or speak, | |
| And they’ll put their sticks and bedding up the spout, | 30 |
| And they’ll live on half o’ nothing, paid ’em punctual once a week | |
| ’Cause the man that earns the wage is ordered out. | |
| He’s an absent-minded beggar, but he heard his country call, | |
| And his reg’ment didn’t need to send to find him! | |
| He chucked his job and joined it—so the job before us all | 35 |
| Is to help the home that Tommy’s left behind him! | |
| Duke’s job—cook’s job—gardener, baronet, groom | |
| Mews or palace or paper-shop, there’s someone gone away! | |
| Each of ’em doing his country’s work | |
| (and who’s to look after the room?) | 40 |
| Pass the hat for your credit’s sake, | |
| and pay—pay—pay! | |
| |
| Let us manage so as, later, we can look him in the face, | |
| And tell him—what he’d very much prefer— | |
| That, while he saved the Empire, his employer saved his place | 45 |
| And his mates (that’s you and me) looked out for her. | |
| He’s an absent-minded beggar and he may forget it all, | |
| But we do not want his kiddies to remind him | |
| That we sent ’em to the workhouse while their daddy hammered Paul, | |
| So we’ll help the homes that Tommy left behind him! | 50 |
| Cook’s home—Duke’s home—home of a millionaire, | |
| (Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay!) | |
| Each of ’em doing his country’s work | |
| (and what have you got to spare?) | |
| Pass the hat for your credit’s sake, | 55 |
| and pay—pay—pay! | |
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