Excerpt from Holyoke in the Great War
The Yankee On The Marne
Ho! the h'English h'an' the h'Irish h'an' the 'owling Scotties, too,
The Cannucks h'an' h'Austryleans h'an' the 'airy French Pollu,
The h'only thing that bothered us a year before we knew Was wot h'in 'ell the Yanks 'ud look and wot h'in 'ell they'd do!
They didn't 'ave no tr'inin', an' they didn't know the gyme.
They 'adn't never marched much, 'an their shootin' was the syme,
'An the h'only thing that bothered us way back in lawst July
Was 'ow in 'ell the line would 'old h'if they should ryn aw'y!
Them leggy nosey new 'uns - just come across the sea,
We couldn't 'clp but wonder 'ow in 'ell their guns would be.
H'an the 'honly thing that bothered us h'in all the staggerin' ranks
Was w'at in 'ell would 'appen h'if the 'tins should 'it the Yanks.
My word! H'it 'append sudden when the drive 'ad first begun,
We see'd the Yanks arunnin'! Gaw blitny! 'Ow they run!
But the h'only thing that bothered us that see'd the chyse begin
Was 'ow in 'ell to stop 'em, 'fore they got into Berlin!
They didn't 'ave no tactics but the bloody manuel,
They 'adn't learned no herders but "OORAY" and "Give 'em 'ell!"
But the h'only thing that bothered us about them leggy lads
Was 'ow in 'ell to get the chow to feed their "Kamerads."
So we're standin' hall together in a stilish firin' line,
H'an' hif anyone should hawsk us, you can say "we're doin' fine."
But the h'only thing that bothers us, and that don't bother much,
His where h'in 'ell to get the dirt to cover up the Dutch.
Gaw's truth h'its rotten fightin' that hall the troops 'ave seen,
The 'Uns a dirty player, becos he's always been.
But the h'only thing that bothers us in 'andin' 'in our thanks
Is 'ow in 'ell we'd done it if it weren't for the Yanks.
Ho! the H'English h'an' the H'lrish h'an' the 'owlin' Scotties, too.
The Cannucks h'an' H'Austryleans h'an' the 'airy French Pollu,
The h'only thing that bothered us don't bother us no more.
Hit's why in 'ell we didn't know the Yankee boys before.
- From "Somewhere in France."
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