That Day Songtext
von Peter Bellamy

It got beyond all orders an′ it got beyond all 'ope;
It got to shammin′ wounded an' retirin' from the ′alt.
′Ole companies was lookin' for the nearest road to slope;
It were just a bloomin′ knock-out -- an' our fault!

Now there ain′t no 'ere to give,
Nor there ain′t no band to play;
An' I wish I was dead 'fore I done what I did,
Or seen what I seed that day!

We was sick o′ bein′ punished, an' we let ′em know it, too;
An' a company-commander up an′ 'it us with a sword,
An′ some one shouted "'Ook it!" an' it come to sove-ki-poo,
An′ we chucked our rifles from us -- O my Gawd!

There was thirty dead an′ wounded on the ground we wouldn't keep --
No, there wasn′t more than twenty when the front begun to go;
But, Christ! along the line o' flight they cut us up like sheep,
An′ that was all we gained by doin' so.


I ′eard the knives be'ind me, but I dursn't face my man,
Nor I don′t know where I went to, ′cause I didn't ′alt to see,
Till I 'eard a beggar squealin′ out for quarter as 'e ran,
An′ I thought I knew the voice an' -- it was me!

We was 'idin′ under bedsteads more than ′arf a march away;
We was lyin' up like rabbits all about the countryside;
An′ the major cursed 'is Maker ′cause 'e lived to see that day,
An′ the colonel broke 'is sword acrost, an' cried.

We was rotten ′fore we started -- we was never disciplined;
We made it out a favour if an order was obeyed;
Yes, every little drummer ′ad 'is rights an′ wrongs to mind,
So we had to pay for teachin' -- an′ we paid!

The papers 'id it ′andsome, but you know the Army knows;
We was put to groomin' camels till the regiments withdrew,
An' they gave us each a medal for subduin′ England′s foes,
An' I ′ope you like my song -- because it's true!

An′ there ain't no ′ere to give,
Nor there ain't no band to play;
But I wish I was dead 'fore I done what I did,
Or seen what I seed that day!