ACTION
I saw a Line of Battleship a-followed by a prize,’Oose capture wur a matter easy done;The Gunners ’eld their fire till they saw each other’s eyes,And raked her fore and aft with every gun.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been every gun as did it?I’m speaking of a ’undred year ago;An’ if we didn’t rake ’er, ’ow in ’Eavensdidwe take ’er,For we adn’t got torpedoes down below?I saw a Fleet of ironclads a-shelling of a town,Which let us ’ave it lively from a fort,Till a little British ‘lay-me-true’ ran in and did ’em brown,While most of us lay off and watched the sport.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been just one ship as did it?I’m speaking now of forty year ago;We’d iron on our uppers and steam and patent scuppers,Though nowadays you might a’called it slow.I ’ear there’s been an action, for the Germans come at last,With submarines and aereyplanes an’ all;But when our Battle Squadron come they run so ruddy fastWe ’adn’t time to open up the ball.And yet I can’t make out the way they do it,I’m speaking now o’ thirteen months ago,They come out for to beat us, but when the beggars meet us,They scuttle back before they’ve struck a blow.But, Grandpa, don’t forget, you’ aven’tseenthe British Fleet,Nor been aboard a Dreadnought in your life,And a modern Battle Squadron is a nasty thing to meet,And a Cruiser ’as a fore-foot like a knife.So, can’t you even guess the way we did it?It only ’appened ‘bout a year ago,The Battle Cruisers caught ’em, and the Dread-ohs nearly taught ’emWhen darkness fell and spoilt our little show.
I saw a Line of Battleship a-followed by a prize,’Oose capture wur a matter easy done;The Gunners ’eld their fire till they saw each other’s eyes,And raked her fore and aft with every gun.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been every gun as did it?I’m speaking of a ’undred year ago;An’ if we didn’t rake ’er, ’ow in ’Eavensdidwe take ’er,For we adn’t got torpedoes down below?I saw a Fleet of ironclads a-shelling of a town,Which let us ’ave it lively from a fort,Till a little British ‘lay-me-true’ ran in and did ’em brown,While most of us lay off and watched the sport.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been just one ship as did it?I’m speaking now of forty year ago;We’d iron on our uppers and steam and patent scuppers,Though nowadays you might a’called it slow.I ’ear there’s been an action, for the Germans come at last,With submarines and aereyplanes an’ all;But when our Battle Squadron come they run so ruddy fastWe ’adn’t time to open up the ball.And yet I can’t make out the way they do it,I’m speaking now o’ thirteen months ago,They come out for to beat us, but when the beggars meet us,They scuttle back before they’ve struck a blow.But, Grandpa, don’t forget, you’ aven’tseenthe British Fleet,Nor been aboard a Dreadnought in your life,And a modern Battle Squadron is a nasty thing to meet,And a Cruiser ’as a fore-foot like a knife.So, can’t you even guess the way we did it?It only ’appened ‘bout a year ago,The Battle Cruisers caught ’em, and the Dread-ohs nearly taught ’emWhen darkness fell and spoilt our little show.
I saw a Line of Battleship a-followed by a prize,’Oose capture wur a matter easy done;The Gunners ’eld their fire till they saw each other’s eyes,And raked her fore and aft with every gun.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been every gun as did it?I’m speaking of a ’undred year ago;An’ if we didn’t rake ’er, ’ow in ’Eavensdidwe take ’er,For we adn’t got torpedoes down below?
I saw a Line of Battleship a-followed by a prize,
’Oose capture wur a matter easy done;
The Gunners ’eld their fire till they saw each other’s eyes,
And raked her fore and aft with every gun.
Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been every gun as did it?
I’m speaking of a ’undred year ago;
An’ if we didn’t rake ’er, ’ow in ’Eavensdidwe take ’er,
For we adn’t got torpedoes down below?
I saw a Fleet of ironclads a-shelling of a town,Which let us ’ave it lively from a fort,Till a little British ‘lay-me-true’ ran in and did ’em brown,While most of us lay off and watched the sport.Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been just one ship as did it?I’m speaking now of forty year ago;We’d iron on our uppers and steam and patent scuppers,Though nowadays you might a’called it slow.
I saw a Fleet of ironclads a-shelling of a town,
Which let us ’ave it lively from a fort,
Till a little British ‘lay-me-true’ ran in and did ’em brown,
While most of us lay off and watched the sport.
Eh! it couldn’t ’ave been just one ship as did it?
I’m speaking now of forty year ago;
We’d iron on our uppers and steam and patent scuppers,
Though nowadays you might a’called it slow.
I ’ear there’s been an action, for the Germans come at last,With submarines and aereyplanes an’ all;But when our Battle Squadron come they run so ruddy fastWe ’adn’t time to open up the ball.And yet I can’t make out the way they do it,I’m speaking now o’ thirteen months ago,They come out for to beat us, but when the beggars meet us,They scuttle back before they’ve struck a blow.
I ’ear there’s been an action, for the Germans come at last,
With submarines and aereyplanes an’ all;
But when our Battle Squadron come they run so ruddy fast
We ’adn’t time to open up the ball.
And yet I can’t make out the way they do it,
I’m speaking now o’ thirteen months ago,
They come out for to beat us, but when the beggars meet us,
They scuttle back before they’ve struck a blow.
But, Grandpa, don’t forget, you’ aven’tseenthe British Fleet,Nor been aboard a Dreadnought in your life,And a modern Battle Squadron is a nasty thing to meet,And a Cruiser ’as a fore-foot like a knife.So, can’t you even guess the way we did it?It only ’appened ‘bout a year ago,The Battle Cruisers caught ’em, and the Dread-ohs nearly taught ’emWhen darkness fell and spoilt our little show.
But, Grandpa, don’t forget, you’ aven’tseenthe British Fleet,
Nor been aboard a Dreadnought in your life,
And a modern Battle Squadron is a nasty thing to meet,
And a Cruiser ’as a fore-foot like a knife.
So, can’t you even guess the way we did it?
It only ’appened ‘bout a year ago,
The Battle Cruisers caught ’em, and the Dread-ohs nearly taught ’em
When darkness fell and spoilt our little show.