“The Toy Band"

A Song of the Great Retreat.

(by Sir Henry Newbolt)

Dedicated to the men of The 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards who were the first British soldiers to come into contact and conflict with the Germans on the morning of the 22nd August 1914 at the village of Casteau in Belgium.


DREARY lay the long road, dreary lay the town,
  Lights out and never a glint o’ moon.
Weary lay the stragglers, half a thousand down,
  Sad sighed the weary big Dragoon:
“Oh ! if I’d a drum here to make them take the road again,
  Oh ! if I’d a fife to wheedle: Come, boys, come !
You that mean to fight it out, wake and take your load again,
  Fall in ! Fall in ! Follow the fife and drum !"

Hey ! but here’s a toy shop, here’s a drum for me,
  Penny whistles too, to play the tune !
Half a thousand dead men soon shall hear and see
  We’re a band !” said the weary big Dragoon.
“Rubadub ! Rubadub ! Wake and take the road again,
  Wheedle-deedle-deedle-dee ! Come, boys, come !
You that mean to fight it out, wake and take your road again,
  Fall in! Fall in! Follow the fife and drum!

Cheerily goes the dark road, cheerily goes the night,
  Cheerily goes the blood to keep the beat.
Half a thousand dead men marching on to fight
  With a little penny drum to lift their feet.
Rubadub ! Rubadub ! Wake and take the road again,
  Tweedle-deedle-deedle-dee ! Come, boys, come !
You that mean to fight it out, wake and take your road again,
  Fall in ! Fall in ! Follow the fife and drum !

As long as there’s an Englishman to ask a tale of me,
  As long as I can tell the tale aright,
We’ll not forget the penny whistle’s Wheedle-deedle-dee !
  And the big Dragoon a-beating down the night,
Rubadub ! Rubadub ! Wake and take the road again,
  Wheedle-deedle-deedle-dee ! Come, boys, come !
You that mean to fight it out, wake and take your load again,
  Fall in ! Fall in ! Follow the fife and drum !