Sergeant William Bailey Lyrics

Sergeant William Bailey

Sergeant William Bailey was a man of high renown,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
In search of gallant young recruits he used to scour the town,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
His face was full and swarthy, of medals he had forty,
And ribbons on his hat red white and blue,
It was him that looked the hero as he made the people stare O,
As he stood at Murphy’s corner tooral loo.

Alas for human greatness every doggy has his day,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
And Sergeant William Bailey now is gettin' old and grey,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
Some rebel youths with placards have called his army blackguards,
And told the Irish boyhood what to do,
So in spite of fife and drumming no more recruits are comin',
For Sergeant William Bailey tooral loo.

O Sergeant William Bailey what a wretched sight to see,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
His back that once was stiff and straight is almost bent in three,
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
No longer youths are willing, to take his dirty shilling,
And things for him are lookin' mighty blue.
He has lost his occupation let’s sing in jubilation,
For Sergeant William Bailey tooral loo.

Cruel Britannia, you're marmalade and jam,
With your long-neck coat and your feather in your cap
And your drums and your guns Bang! Bang!