| Original | Versione cantata da Robin Hall e Jimmie McGregor |
| THE RECRUITING SERGEANT | THE RECRUITING SERGEANT |
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| As I was walking down the road, | As I was walking down the street |
| A feeling fine and larky oh! | I was feeling light and larky O |
| A recruiting Sergeant came up to me, | When a recruiting sergeant says to me, |
| Says he "You'd look fine in khaki, oh!(1) | “You'd look fine in khaki O. |
| For the King he is in need of men, | For the King he is in need of men, |
| Come read this proclamation oh! | come read this proclamation O. |
| A life in Flanders for you then, | And it's a life in Flanders for you then, |
| Would be a fine vacation now." | 't will be a lovely vacation O.” |
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| "That maybe so," says I to him, | So I looked the the sergeant then says I, |
| "But tell me sergent Dearie-oh! | “Please tell me sergeant dearie O, |
| If I had a pack stuck upon me back, | If I had a pack stuck upon me back |
| Would I look fine and cheerie oh! | would I look bright and cheerie O? |
| For they'd have you train and drill until | For you'd make me drill and train until |
| They had you one of Frenchies oh! | you'd had me like the Frenchies O, |
| It maybe warm in Flanders, | Oh it may be warm in Flanders |
| But it's draughty in the trenches oh!" | but it's draughty in the trenches O.” |
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| The Sergeant smiled and winked his eye, | Then the sergeant raised his little cane |
| His smile was most provoking oh! | and his smile was most provoking O, |
| He twiddled and twirled his wee moustache, | And he twiddled and twirled his wee moustache, |
| Says he, "I know you're only joking oh! | says he, “Surely you're joking O! |
| For the sandbags are so warm and high, | For the sandbags they are lovely and high |
| The wind you won't feel blowing oh!" | and the wind you'd never feel blowing O.” |
| Well I winked at a colleen passing by, | But I winked at a cailin passing by, |
| Says I, "What if it's snowing oh!" | says I, “What if it's snowing O? |
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| "Come rain or hail or wind or snow, | “O come wind, come rain, come hail, |
| I'm not going out to Flanders oh! | come snow, we're not going out to Flanders O, |
| There's fighting in Dublin to be done.(2) | For there's fighting in Dublin to be done, |
| Let your Sergeants and Commanders go. | let your Captains and Commanders go. |
| Let Englishmen fight English wars, | And let Englishmen for England fight |
| It's nearly time they started oh! | and it's time that they get started O.” |
| I salute the Sergeant a very good night!" | And I gave that Sergeant a jolly good night |
| And there and then we parted oh! | and there and then we parted O. |
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(2) The "fighting in Dublin" refers to the Easter Rising of 1916.