She's My Daisy

Transcript

I've had a corps that stood before the king for half a day, and a bit of all the slavish, and I'm very pleased to say, they all throw kisses, make sure smiles they get me on the dot. But there's one called Daisy, she's the dearest. Daisy, oh the luck!

I were a lot of boys, a chant in the horse killed me. The general and I, we were sitting in the canteen the other night there, having a couple of bottles of porter. And him and I, we were just sitting there and talking and speaking to one another.

Just the same as you and I are sitting and talking and speaking to one another now. You know what I mean. Sitting pleasant.

Chewing the rug. And you know how a couple of soldiers can chew the rug when there's a couple of bottles of porter. They're about as bad as a couple of sailors.

Said the general to me, said he, Sandy, I've been hearing that the regiment's going to be ordered abroad. And if that's the case, Sandy, when we get there, if there's a war, or skirmish, or anything breaks out, Sandy, you'll take command of the colors. I said thanks, very muchly.

That's very considerate of you, son. But still, at the same time, I would like to know who's to be looking after the canteen. Oh, said the general, I will.

I said, will you? I said, if you do, that's where we'll keep the colors. Of course, I've been three times abroad, and I've been in three engagements.

Two barmaids and a typewriter. Ah, but this girl, I'm telling you about Daisy. Oh, you have no idea.

She's one of the nicest, and one of the best. Well, I don't want to stand here and bounce anything about her, but mind I'm telling you, if some of you chaps just happen to see her, do you know this one? Well, the boys get a couple of bottles of porthole on a Phoenix.

You can hear the whole of the regiment of the drummer boys, and you can hear the sergeants, and you can hear the privates, and you can, well, everybody about the place. It's marvelous. Whenever they get about two Scotches, well, or three Scotches, well, it doesn't matter how many Scotches we'll get.

At least as far as I'm led to believe it. Mind I'm telling you, whenever any of the boys begin to talk about her, you can hear, you can hear the whole of the regiment sing. For she's my Daisy, my funny Daisy.

She's as sweet as sugar candy, and she's very fond of Sandy, and I weary for my dearie. I would rather lose my straps than lose my Daisy. Well, boys, good night.

Transcribed by AI from the recording above. These are noisy hundred-year-old cylinders, so expect misheard words and the occasional invented line — trust your ears over the text.