The Recruiting Sergeant - Irish Folk Song

The recruiting sergeant, written by Seamus O’Farrell in 1915 is another anti-recruitment song where a British sergeant trys to enlist a young Irish man into the army and in this case go fight in WWI in the trenches of Flanders.

It has been said that it was branded a ‘treason’ song by the British and anyone heard singing it in public rendered himself liable to six months' imprisonment.
Lyrics:

As I was going down the road, feeling fine and larky O,
A recruiting sergeant says to me, “Now you'd look fine in khaki O.
The King he is in need of men, come read his proclamation O.
A life in Flanders for you then would be a fine vacation O.”

“That may be so,” says I to him, “but tell me sergeant dearie O,
If I had a pack stuck upon me back, do you think I'd look fine and cheery O?
You'd make me train and drill until they had me one of French's O.
It may be warm in Flanders but it's draughty in the trenches O.”

The sergeant smiled and winked his eye, his smile was most provoking O.
He twiddled and twirled his wee moustache, says he, “You're only joking O!
For the sandbags are so warm and high, the wind you won't feel blowing O.”
Well I winked at a cailin passing by, says I, “What if it's snowing O?

“Come rain or hail or wind or snow, we're not going out to Flanders O.
There's fighting in Dublin to be done, let your Sergeants and your Commanders go.
Let Englishmen for England fight, 'tis just about time they started O.”
I wished the Sergeant a very good night and there and then departed O.