Oh they say there's a troopship just leaving Bombay (1)
Bound for old Blighty's shore, (2)
Heavily laden with time-expired men
Bound for the land they adore;
There's many a twat (3) just finishing his time,
There's many a cunt signing on;
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads, fuck 'em all!
Fuck 'em all!
Fuck 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall;
Fuck all the Sergeants and W.O.l.'s, (4)
Fuck all the corporals and their bastard sons; (5)
For we're saying goodbye to them all,
As up the C.O.'s arse they crawl; (6)
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads, fuck 'em all!
Bound for old Blighty's shore, (2)
Heavily laden with time-expired men
Bound for the land they adore;
There's many a twat (3) just finishing his time,
There's many a cunt signing on;
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads, fuck 'em all!
Fuck 'em all!
Fuck 'em all!
The long and the short and the tall;
Fuck all the Sergeants and W.O.l.'s, (4)
Fuck all the corporals and their bastard sons; (5)
For we're saying goodbye to them all,
As up the C.O.'s arse they crawl; (6)
You'll get no promotion this side of the ocean,
So cheer up my lads, fuck 'em all!
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(1) Alternatively, Fiji, Port Said, Calais or any other two-syllable place name where soldiers might embark for return to their homeland.
(2) Alternatively, New Zealand's shore.
(3) Slang, female genitals or "cunt"' hence a foolish, silly or stupid fellow.
(4) Warrant Officer First Class, the senior rank attainable by non-commissioned officers in the Royal Air Force.
(5) Alternatively, "Fuck all their daughters and fuck all their sons".
(6) "As they ingratiate themselves with the Commanding Officer of the unit".