I’ve served my King and country
With diligence and pride
I’ve served with friends & comrades
Who have stood there by my side

I’ve fought our countries enemies
And broke them like a shell
I’ve listened to the songbirds
And also peered through hell

The trenches are home and nightmare
Filled with bodies, mud and death
Our friends lie there like mannequins
Who’ve taken their last breath

The shells fall every now and then
We hear them coming in
The blast, hot metal and the noise
A deathly sight and din

The Hun come calling once a day
Or sometimes by the night
They come in search of Tommy
They come to fight the fight

With bayonets fixed and bullets
We stand here on the line
Your life I want my enemy
Cos you are here for mine!

We shoot and shell and stab them
All young men in their prime
Cos now is not the time for life
It’s now the killing time

The dead and dying lie there
Beside the ones before
But this is not the end, my friend
There will be plenty bloody more!

For you the days are early
For me the day is late
I’m off to Blighty on my leave
This trench is yours old mate

So keep your eyes wide open
And listen for the Hun
It’s not the cold that kills you
It’s the bullets from his gun

I’ll see you when I get back my friend
Unless it’s done by then
They say it will by Christmas
I hope this hell will end

Till then keep soldiering Tommy
And I’ll say a prayer for you
I’ll have a pint and kiss my girl
And pray you make it through