"They 'ave picked me 'cos they trust me; an' it's got me where I live,
An' it's put me on me metal, square an' all.
I wusn't in the runnin' once when blokes 'ad trust to give,
But over 'ere I answers to the call.
So some shrewd 'ead 'e marked me well, an' when the time wus
ripe,
'E took a chance on Ginger Mick, an' I 'ave snared me stripe.
"I know wot I wus born fer now, an' soljerin's me game,
That's no furphy; but I never guessed it once;
Fer when I 'it things up at 'ome they said I wus to blame,
An' foolish beaks they sent me up fer munce.
But 'ere—well, things is different to wot sich things wus then,
Fer me game is playin' soljers, an' me lurk is 'andlin' men.
"Me game is 'andlin' men, orl right, I seen it in the parst
When I used to 'ead the pushes in the Lane.
An' ev'ry bloke among 'em then done everythin' I arst,
Fer I never failed to make me meanin' plain.
Disturbers uv the peace we wus them days, but now I know
We wus aimin' to be soljers, but we never 'ad a show.
"We never 'ad no discipline, that's wot we wanted bad,
It's discipline that gives the push its might.
But wot a time we could 'ave give the coppers if we 'ad,
