Twa Scots soldiers enlisted fae France
Spurred on by Kitchener to take their chance
Against the Kaiser with a screech and a yell
And make him afraid o’ the Ladies From Hell
Dressed in khaki kilts and a fine pair of spats
Standing in line like real cool cats
Glengarry on each heid and a gun in each fist
What possessed these twa canny lads to enlist?
From Mons to Ypres all the way through the Somme
Would they be left standing when their mates are all gone
To look back and wonder how they ever returned hame
Or will they no’ come back again?
Twa sweethearts did they leave behind
To worry themselves nearly out of their minds?
“Dinnae fret me hinny just bide yer time
For we’ll both be back by Christmastime”
“Oh laddies ye dinnae ken the danger that ye’re in
Before ye’ve grown accustomed to the smoke and the din
O’ the rattle o’ machineguns and the whiz-bangs crashing loud
They’ll be wrapping yer wee bodies up in a shroud”
From Mons to Ypres…
One looks down and examines his gun
Will it keep him alive until the War is won?
The other stares ahead wi’ a pipe in his teeth
A young-old face, what thoughts lie beneath?
Is he thinking o’ his hame in the hills and glen?
Daydreaming o’ adventure wi’ the rest o’ the men?
Is he lost in premonition o’ the horrors ahead?
Does his spirit hear the pibroch sounding for the dead?
From Mons to Ypres…
Spurred on by Kitchener to take their chance
Against the Kaiser with a screech and a yell
And make him afraid o’ the Ladies From Hell
Dressed in khaki kilts and a fine pair of spats
Standing in line like real cool cats
Glengarry on each heid and a gun in each fist
What possessed these twa canny lads to enlist?
From Mons to Ypres all the way through the Somme
Would they be left standing when their mates are all gone
To look back and wonder how they ever returned hame
Or will they no’ come back again?
Twa sweethearts did they leave behind
To worry themselves nearly out of their minds?
“Dinnae fret me hinny just bide yer time
For we’ll both be back by Christmastime”
“Oh laddies ye dinnae ken the danger that ye’re in
Before ye’ve grown accustomed to the smoke and the din
O’ the rattle o’ machineguns and the whiz-bangs crashing loud
They’ll be wrapping yer wee bodies up in a shroud”
From Mons to Ypres…
One looks down and examines his gun
Will it keep him alive until the War is won?
The other stares ahead wi’ a pipe in his teeth
A young-old face, what thoughts lie beneath?
Is he thinking o’ his hame in the hills and glen?
Daydreaming o’ adventure wi’ the rest o’ the men?
Is he lost in premonition o’ the horrors ahead?
Does his spirit hear the pibroch sounding for the dead?
From Mons to Ypres…
Contributed by Giacomo Petragli - 2016/5/11 - 20:34
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Reflections on War
Due giovani soldati scozzesi mandati a combattere e morire sul fronte occidentale della Prima Guerra Mondiale. La canzone è tratta dall'album del 2010 "Reflections on War".
Il brano è cantato in inglese con forti inflessioni popolaresche e scozzesi.