“When this ‘ere war’s finished,” Bill said,
“If we ain’t all dead,
Most of the crowd’s all for quittin’ the sea.
Joe’s goin’ in for a chip shop or fish maybe;
Young Charlie’s talkin’ about a motor garage,
And Bert’s idea’s mate of a cement barge
So’s he can get ‘ome once in a while for tea;
Ginger says ‘e’s goin’ in for a little place down Essex way
Where ‘e can set back quiet an’ watch the ‘ens lay . . .
But me — well, I’m going on sixty-six,
And you can’t learn an old dog new tricks,
So I’m goin’ to find
The first Jerry I can and kick his be’ind,
And then — well, seems to me
I can’t do much better than go back to sea.
Notes
From PUNCH Magazine, Volume 202, March 18, 1942, p. 211.
Glossary
Cement Barge: it is not clear if Miss Fox Smith meant a barge made out of cement or a barge carrying cement. It is my opinion she meant the former. They did exist.
Fust: first
Jerry: A German (serviceman.)
Set ( as in set back quiet): sit
Thanks to Barrie Mathers
JS
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