Various Artists - Joe Soap's Army/Fred Karno's Army/When This Lousy War Is Over

Forward Joe Soap's Army
Marching without fear
With our old commander
Safely in the rear
He boasts and skites from morn 'till night
And think he's very brave
But the men who really did the job
Are dead and in their grave
Forward Joe Soap's Army
Marching without fear
Without old commander
Safely in the rear
Amen

I'm sure you will be glad to hear the news from the home front. The Archbishop of Canterbury has made it known that it is no sin to labour for war on the Sabbath. And I'm sure you would also like to know that the Chief Rabbi has absolved your Jewish brethren from abstaining from pork in the trenches. Likewise, his holiness the Pope has ruled that the eating of flesh on Friday is no longer a mortal sin

It's high time we had an Irish pope
You're right

And in faraway Tibet, the Dalai Lama has placed his prayers at the disposal of the allies. Now, brethren, tomorrow being Good Friday, we hope God will look kindly on our attack. We will now sing from Hymns Ancient and Modern, number 358

(The Church's one foundation)
We are the ragtime infantry
We cannot fight
We cannot shoot
What bleeding use are we?
And when we get to Berlin
(To be his holy bride
And from his lot)
What a bloody rotten lot
Are the ragtime infantry
Amen
Let us pray. O God, show thy face to us as thou didst with thy angel at Mons. The choir will now sing What a Friend We Have in Jesus, as we offer a silent prayer for success in tomorrow's onslaught

Amen

When this lousy war is over
(What a friend we have is Jesus)
No more soldiering for me
(All our sins and grief to bear)
When I get my civvy clothes on
Oh, how happy I shall be
(Everything to God in prayer)

No more church parades on Sundays
(Oh, what peace for often forfeit)
No more putting in for leave
(Oh, what needless pain we bear)
I shall kiss the Sergeant Major
(All because we do not carry)
How I'll miss him
(All to God in prayer)
How he'll grieve
Amen