Kris Drever - The Banks Of The Nile lyrics

O hark, the drums do beat, my love, we can no longer tarry The bugle calls are sounding and we must march away We're ordered down to Portsmouth town for many a weary mile To join the British Army on the banks of the Nile O Willie, dearest William, don't leave me here to mourn For I must curse and rue the day that ever I was born For parting from our love would be like parting from my life So stay at home, dear William, and I will be your wife O my Nancy, dearest Nancy, sure that would never do The government has ordered and we are bound to go The government has ordered, and the Queen, she gives command And I am bound away, my love, to serve in a foreign land Then I'll cut off my yellow hair and go along with you I'll dress myself in uniform and I'll see Egypt too I'll march beneath your banner while fortune it do smile And we'll comfort one another on the banks of the Nile My curse attend the cruel war and the hour that it began For it has robbed our countrie of many a gallant man They've robbed us of our sweethearts, protectors of the soil Their blood does steep the gra** that's deep on the banks of the Nile And when the war is over, love, back home I'll then return Until my wife and family I've left behind to mourn We'll take up the plough, my boys, and till the fertile soil No more we'll go a-roving on the banks of the Nile