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Work-a-day Warriors/The Australian

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4656665Work-a-day Warriors — The AustralianJoseph Lee

THE AUSTRALIAN

In honour to plain Private Bill
Great Agamemnon lifts his hand.
The Anzac Book.

You don't salute, you don't salaam,
You don't in gen'ral give a damn,
You don't count much on discip-lyne—
But Gawd behold you in the line!

In Egypt, then Gallipoli,
And now in France, along o' me;
'Twas like a glint o' Southern sun
To have you with us 'gainst the Hun.

You're big o' heart, you're big o' hand;
Somewhere around six foot you stand;
Sinews o' steel, an iron jaw—
Fritz holds you fellers some in awe.

You don't salaam, you don't salute,
But Cornstalks! you know how to shoot!
Your 'ealths!—I lifts my glass o' beer—
The biggest, boldest boys out here!

Illustration by Joseph Lee from 'Work-a-day Warriors' by Joseph Lee, published in 1917
Illustration by Joseph Lee from 'Work-a-day Warriors' by Joseph Lee, published in 1917

AN AUSTRALIAN