Corporal McSweeny

McSweeny he’s a corp’ral an’ he’s in the leadin’ squad,

He takes an’ gives his orders like a reg’lar seasoned vet;

When he gives the order “forward!” we just hump across the sod,

When he bites off “halt!” we do it, an’ we “dress” right up, you bet.

McSweeny is red-headed an’ he’s like a magazine,

He’ll explode if he is heated when he is workin’ “on the job”;

He wouldn’t rubber sideways if we passed a “village green”,

Although he likes the ladies well as any of the mob.

McSweeny is a soldier, though he never saw a scrap,

He’s got it in his muscles an’ he’s got it in his bone;

He’s got determination ev’ry corner of his map,

An’ his face when he is marchin’ is as hardened as a stone.

McSweey he’s a corp’ral, he’s a reg’lar Kiser Bill,

That is, when he’s on duty, and the cap’n’s handy by;

He’s got a horse’s muscle an’ he’s got an iron will,

He’s got the very devil in his soldier-lookin’ eye.

But McSweeny when he’s loafin’ he’s as gentle as the dew,

He is full of funny stories which he never seems to lack;

An' although he’s hell an’ fury when he’s puttin’ of us through,

There ain’t a bloomin’ one of us as wouldn’t fight for “Mac”.

June 13, 1917