If you wake at midnight and hear a girl entreat,
Don’t go drawing back the blind or looking in the street
Them as asks no questions isn’t told a lie
Watch the wall my darling, while the soldiers go by.
Five and twenty Humvees
Roaring through the night
Oil for the magnate
Blindfolds for the flight
Lights for a sergeant, letters for a spy
And watch the wall, my darling, while the soldiers go by
Running round the market, if you chance to find
–well you know what —
Don’t you shout to come and look, nor use it for your play.
Put the covers back again – it will be gone next day.
Five and twenty Humvees
Roaring through the night
Oil for the magnate
Blindfolds for the flight
Lights for a sergeant, letters for a spy
And watch the wall, my darling, while the soldiers go by
If you see a prison gate lying open wide;
If you see a beaten man lying down inside;
If your mother mends a coat, cut about and tore;
If the lining’s wet and warm – don’t you ask no more!
Five and twenty Humvees
Roaring through the night
Oil for the magnate
Blindfolds for the flight
Lights for a sergeant, letters for a spy
And watch the wall, my darling, while the soldiers go by
If you meet King George’s men, dressed in blue and red,
You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.
If they call you `pretty girl’ and chuck you `neath the chin
Don’t you tell where no one is, not yet where no one’s been!
Five and twenty Humvees
Roaring through the night
Oil for the magnate
Blindfolds for the flight
Lights for a sergeant, letters for a spy
And watch the wall, my darling, while the soldiers go by
Them that asks no questions isn’t told a lie
And watch the wall my darling when the soldiers go by.