As I was walking down the road

A feeling fine and larky oh

A recruiting sergeant came up to me

Says he you'd look fine in khaki oh

For the King he is in need of men

Come read this proclamation oh

A life in Flanders for you then

Would be a fine vacation now



That maybe so says I to him

But tell me sergeant dearie-oh

If I had a pack stuck upon my back

Would I look fine and cheerie oh

For they'd have you train and drill until

They had you one of Frenchies oh

It may be warm in Flanders

But it's draughty in the trenches oh



The sergeant smiled and winked his eye

His smile was most provoking oh

He twiddled and twirled his wee moustache

Says he I know you're only joking oh

For the sandbags are so warm and high

The wind you won't feel blowing oh

Well I winked at a cailin passing by

Says I what if it's snowing oh



Come rain or hail or wind or snow

I'm not going out to Flanders oh

There's fighting in Dublin to be done

Let your Sergeants and your Commanders go

Let Englishmen fight English wars

It's nearly time they started oh

I saluted the Sergeant a very good night

And there and then we parted oh



As I went down to Galway Town

To seek for recreation on the 17th of August

Me mind being elevated

There were passengers assembled

With their tickets at the station

And me eyes began to dazzle

And they off to see the races



With me wack fol the do fol

The diddle idle day



There were passengers from Limerick

And passengers from Nenagh

The boys of Connemara

And the Clare unmarried maiden

There were people from Cork City

Who were loyal, true and faithful

Who brought home the Fenian prisoners

From dying in foreign nations



With me wack fol the do fol

The diddle idle day



And it's there you'll see the pipers

And the fiddlers competing

And the sporting wheel of fortune

And the four and twenty quarters

And there's others without scruple

Pelting wattles at poor Maggie

And her father well contented

And he gazing at his daughter



With me wack fol the do fol

The diddle idle day



And it's there you'll see

The jockeys and

They mounted on so stably

The pink, the blue, the orange, and green

The colours of our nation

The time it came for starting

All the horses seemed impatient

Their feet they hardly touched the ground

The speed was so amazing!



With me wack fol the do fol

The diddle idle day



There was half a million people there

Of all dominations

The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew

The Presbyterian

There was yet no animosity

Not matter what persuasion

But failte hospitality

Inducing fresh acquaintance



With me wack fol the do fol

The diddle idle day