Oh, me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride,
He and I took a walk down by the seaside,
Seeking good fortune and what may betide
It being on Christmas morning.

And after a while we both took a tramp,
And we met Sergeant Maurice and Corporal Grant,
And a dowty wee drummer, he beat up the camp,
With his row dee dee dow in the morning.

He says, "Me young fellows if you will enlist,
A guinea a quickly you'll have in your fist,
Besides a good crown for to kick up the dust,
And to drink the King's health in the morning."

"Had we been such fools as to take the advance,
The wee bit of morale that, oh, had to run chance,
Would think it no scruple, to send us to France,
Where we would get killed in the morning."

He says, "Me young fellows, if I hear but one word,
I instantly now will out with me sword,
I into your bodies I quickly will lance,
And I'll pay your right smart in the morning."

But Arthur and I we took on the odds,
And we gave them no chance to launch out their swords,
Where whacking shillelaghs came down on their heads,
And paid them right smart in the morning.

As for the wee drummer we rifled his pouch,
and we made a football of his row dow dow dow,
Aye into the ocean to rock and to row,
And far be it tedious returning.

As for the old ranger that hung by his side,
We flung as far as we could in the tide,
"To the devil I bit ya" said Arthur McBride,
"To temper your steel in the morning."

Oh, me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride,
He and I took a walk down by the seaside,
Seeking good fortune and what may betide
It being on Christmas morning.