Boots (Kipling, set by H. Felman, R. Flagler, P. Dawson, J. Sousa) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


We're foot -- slog -- slog -- slog -- sloggin' over Africa  -- 
Foot -- foot -- foot -- foot -- sloggin' over Africa  -- 
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Seven -- six -- eleven -- five -- nine-an'-twenty mile to-day  -- 
Four -- eleven -- seventeen -- thirty-two the day before  -- 
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Don't -- don't -- don't -- don't -- look at what's in front of you.
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again);
Men -- men -- men -- men -- men go mad with watchin' em,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try -- try -- try -- try -- to think o' something different  -- 
Oh -- my -- God -- keep -- me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Count -- count -- count -- count -- the bullets in the bandoliers.
If -- your -- eyes -- drop -- they will get atop o' you!
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again)  -- 
                There's no discharge in the war!

We -- can -- stick -- out -- 'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But -- not -- not -- not -- not the chronic sight of 'em  -- 
Boot -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Taint -- so -- bad -- by -- day because o' company,
But night -- brings -- long -- strings -- o' forty thousand million
Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again.
                There's no discharge in the war!

I -- 'ave -- marched -- six -- weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It -- is -- not -- fire -- devils, dark, or anything,
But boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

Authorship

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

The Five Nations

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

Peter Dawson (1882-?)

Hazel H. S. Felman

Robert S. Flagler (1890-1935)

John Philip Sousa (1854-1932)

Date added to the website: 2009-02-07.

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