I had a young cousin named Arthur McBride
he and took a stroll down by the seaside
a seekin’ good fortune and what might be tide
bein’ just as the day was a dawnin’
and then after restin’ we both took a tram
to meet Sergeant Harper and Corporal Cram
beside the wee drummer who beat up the camp
with his rowdy dow dow in the mornin’


He said, “Me young fellows if you will enlist
a Guinea you quickly shall have in your fist
Besides a Crown for to kick up the dust
and to drink the King’s health in the morning”
Had we been such a fool as to take the advance
with a wee bit of money we’d have to run chance
“Do you think it no scruples to send us to France
where we should be killed in the morning?”


He said, “Me young fellows if I hear but one word
I instantly now will out with my sword
and into your bodies as strength will support
So now me gay devils take warnin!”
But Arthur and I we both took the odds
and we gave them no chance for to launch out their swords
our whackin’ shillelaghs came over their heads
and we paid them right smart in the morning


and as for the drummer, we rifled his pouch
and we made a football of his rowdy dow dow
and into the ocean to rock and to roll
barin’ the day it’s returnin’
and as for the rapier he hung by his side
we threw it as far as we could in the tide
“To the devil I pit you!” says Arthur McBride,
“to temper your steel in the mornin’”