Hello, Soldier!

Back again 'n' nothin' missin' barrin'

  arf a hand,

Where an Abdul bit me, chokin' in the Holy

  Land.

'Struth, they got some dirty fighters in the

  Moslem pack,

Bull-nosed slugs their sneakin' snipers spat

  ters in yer back

Blows a gapin' sort iv pit in

What a helephant could sit in.

Bounced their bullets, if yeh please,

Like the 'oppers in a cheese,

Off me rubber pelt in droves,

Moppin' up the other coves.

So here's me once more at large in

Bay-street, Port, a bloomin' Sargin'.

“Cri, it jumbo.” “Have a beer.”

“Wot-o, Anzac; you're a dear.”

Back once more on Moley's corner, loafin' like

  a dook;

Back on Bourke, me livin' image, not a

  slinkin' spook;

Solid ez the day I started, medals on me

  chest,

Switchin' with me pert melacca, swankin'

  with the best

Where the little wimmen's flowin',

With their veils 'n' ribbons blowin'-

See their eyes of bloo 'n' brown

Butterflyin' 'bout the town!

Back at 'ome-oh, 'struth, it's good!

Long, cold lagers from the wood,

Ev'ry cobber jumpin' at you,

Strangers duckin' in to bat you-

“Good ole Jumbo, how're you?”

“'Ello, soldier, howja do?”

Back at Grillo's where the nigger googs his

  whitey eyes,

Plucks his black ole greasy banjo while the

  cod-steak fries;

Fish 'n' chips, a pint iv local, and the tidy

  girl

Dancin' glad attendance on yeh 'zif yeh was

  an earl;

Trailin' round the blazin' city,

Feelin' all content 'n' pretty,

Where the smart procession goes,

Prinked 'n' polished to the shows,

One among the happy drive-

'Sworth the world to be alive!

Dames ez smilin' ez a mother,

Ev'ry man ver fav'rit brother:

“'Ello, Jumbo, how is it ?”

“Arr there, soldier! Good 'n' fit?”

Takin' hozone at St. Kilder's good enough

  for me,

Seein' Summer and the star-blink simmer in

  the sea;

Cantin' up me bloomin' cady, toyin' with a

  cig.,

Blowin' out me pout a little, chattin' wide 'n'

  big

When there's skirt around to skite to.

Say, 'oo has a better right to?

Done me bit 'n' done it well,

Got the tag iv plate to tell;

Square Gallipoli surviver,

With a touch iv Colonel's guyver.

“Sargin' Jumbo, good ole son!”

“Soldier, soldier, you're the one!”

Back again, a wounded hero, moochin' up 'n'

  down,

Feelin' 'sthough I'd got a fond arf-Nelson on

  the town;

Never was so gay, so 'elp me, never felt so

  kind;

Fresh from 'ell a paradise ain't very hard to

  find.

After filth, 'n' flies, 'n' slaughter

Fat brown babies in the water,

Singin' people on the sand

Makes a boshter Happy Land!

War what toughened hone 'n' hide

Turned a feller soft inside!

Great it is, the 'earty greetin's,

Friendly digs, 'n' cheerful meetin's

“'Ello, Jumbo, howja do?”

“Soldier, soldier, how're you?”