Buckshee Poem by Billy Bennett

Since the boys have come back from that terrible war
We’re all using words that were not heard before
Learnt in the dug-out or trench
There’s napoo and rooty and wind-up, Gee whiz
And Voulez Vous Promenard, thankfully Liz
That’s the old soldiers farewell in French
There’s others of course but I can’t say them here
But there’s one little word that the soldier holds dear,

Buckshee, buckshee,
It means something for nothing, you see
Just take the Australian soldier so grand
They each had a wife in their own native land
And they’ve married again to have one close at hand
D’yer see, buckshee.

Now there’s one little point and I think you’ll agree
It’s the first time that I knew that a buck was a she
I thought that a buck was a doe
And then there’s the old buck the women will give
Yet, two thousand year ago how did they live
All dressed up in leaves as you know
And they dress up in leaves in the present day too
Of the leaves from a cheque book they all get a few,

Buckshee, buckshee,
And the girl that lives opposite me
She’s quite a smart bird though her people are poor
She picked up a bloke in the Army Pay Corps
And now she’s got diamonds and sables galore
D’yer see, buckshee.

Now when I got back to the missis at home
Free from the army and no more to roam
I felt strange, it must be confessed
The missis thought I had gone clean up the pole
I fell all the kids in and then called the role
To make sure that none had gone West
I made them form fours and as they marched past
There seemed to more than when I saw them last,

Buckshee, buckshee,
So I said, “Lizzy, listen to me
When I left old England the kids numbered nine
But now there’s eleven, they’re all in a line.”
The missis said, “Yes dear, there’s nine yours and mine
And two - to tea”