NationStates Jolt Archive

"Oh, when I was young the peace was had,
And it was mighty good,
I played among the pigs and sheep,
As any babbie should.

I grew up tall and also wide,
And learned to swing a sword,
Me daddy told me I'as a man,
And so I joined the horde.

(Refrain: To arms! To arms! We learned to fight for life!)

Oh, I met a sweet young lassie true,
And she did say to me,
Jimmy-boy, you got to know,
The British come to see.

I made my way to borderland,
I drew my bonnie blade,
A thousand red men standin' there,
An' thousand men I slayed.

(To arms! To arms! We learned to raise a knife!)

Oh, they pushed us all from field and mine,
Away from our sweet homes,
Sweet young lassie came to me,
Said 'Now's the time we roams.'

We of the army tried to fight,
But alas we fell back,
The Britons cut us doon tha' day,
From Alistair down ta Mack.

(To arms! To arms! We go to a new life!)

They packed us up and sent us off,
To founder in the sea,
And so we came to our new place,
As Pa mine said to me.

To arms! To arms, they took away our home.
To arms! To arms, but we were clev'rer still.