The Recruiting Sergeant

The Levellers

Over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
So I've fixed-up the alarm And broken half way in When the security guard appears And busts me on the chin He kicks me 'round and says "Do you know the shit you're in?" I said "I was on me arse mate" Meant no offence to him
 
I was over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
I know I let you down babe Trying to make ends meet When I met this recruiting seargeant By the courthouse on the street He said "You're a disgrace boy and that's a fucking crime" Then somebody got the drinks in And I signed on the dotted line
 
And I was over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
Now I'm sucking dust in Helmand Dug in to Lashkar Gar Where the local weed and opium Beats any British bar I know as we lay there dreaming I'm still in the pay of theives And I'm rushing back to be with you Upon this desert breeze
 
It's blowing over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
Don't follow me to die boys In bloody Kandahar With the eerie glow of tracers Lighting every wretched scar Who will say a prayer for me And cry each year this day? If you see a recruiting seargeant boys Run, run away
 
Run over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
And it's over the mountains And over the sea By Hercules transporter To fight the Afghani With a rifle in my hand To set the country free But it's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me
 
It's your picture in my pocket That means everything to me