Text: Litfiba. Pirata. Cannon Song.
John was all present and Jim was all there and Georgie was up for promotion
Not that the Army gave a bugger who they were when confronting some heathen commotion
The troops live under the cannon's thunder from Sind to Cooch Behar
when they come face to face
moving from place to place
With a different breed of fellow whose skins are black or yellow
They quick as winking chop him into beefsteak tartar
Johnny found his whiskey too warm and Jimmy found the weather too balmy
But Georgie took them both by the arm and said "Don't ever disappoint the army"
The troops live under the cannon's thunder from Sind to Cooch Behar
when they come face to face
moving from place to place
With a different breed of fellow whose skins are black or yellow
They quick as winking chop him into beefsteak tartar
John is a write-off and Jimmy is dead and Georgie was shot for looting
And young men's blood goes on being red and the army still goes on ahead recruiting
The troops live under the cannon's thunder from Sind to Cooch Behar
when they come face to face
moving from place to place
With a different breed of fellow whose skins are black or yellow
They quick as winking chop him into beefsteak tartar