I’VE GOT SIXPENCE

I’ve got sixpence, jolly, jolly, sixpence

I’ve got sixpence to last me all my life;

I’ve got tuppence to spend and tuppence to lend,

And tuppence to send up to my wife, poor wife.

 

No cares have I to grieve me,

No pretty little wife to deceive me;

I’m happy as a (the ) King, believe me;

As we go rolling, rolling home,(rolling home)

 

Rolling home, (rolling home) rolling home, (rolling home)

By the light of the silvery moo-oo-oo-oon

Happy all the day as we line up for our pay,

As we go  rolling rolling home.

 

I’ve got 4 pence

tuppence to spend, tuppence to lend,

No pence to send up to my wife----

 

I’ve got tuppence

Tuppence to spend, no pence to lend and--

 

I’ve got no pence, jolly, jolly no pence

 

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     I’ve known this song, andheard vets sing it for as long as I remember. It goes back at least to the Boer War, and was sung during the Vietnam War. It’s now hard to trace how far back this song does go, but I suspect it pre-dates the Boer War.