browned off
browned off
i usedto be a civvie chap, as decent as could be;
 always thought a working lad had a man's right to be free;
 but then one day they came and made a soldier out of me, and told me it was all to save democracy--
chorus
and I was browned off, browned off,browned off as can be, browned off, browned off, an easy fool that's me;
 but when this war is over and once more I'm free there's no more trips around the world for me!
they put me in a convict suit, they made me cut me hair;
 took away me civvie shoes, gave me another pair;
 instead of food they gave us slush, and plenty of fresh air;
 and told me it was all to save democracy--
each day we' re out on parade, long before the dawn;
 and every day I curse the day that evere I was born;
 I'm just a browned off soldier, as you can plainly see;
 they browned me off to help them save democracy--
well, the colonel kicks the captain, then the captain has a go;
 the captain kicks the sgt, who kicks other nco's and as the kick get harder the poor private you may see;
 gets kicked to bloody hell to save democracy--
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verses 1,2,4 came from simon campell,
of turramurra sydney, and brad tate of the channons, nsw.
 verse 3 came from lionel o' keefe, of liston, qld.
 brad tate says this song was written at the end of last century, just after the spanish-american war, by the iww founder, joe hill, in conjunction with a us sailor;
 it is sung to a tune variant, not here included.
 from the first world war on, this is the song that was sung, and the tune used --i have no idea how the song came to australia, and identified as an australian soldiers song, unless it came to the australian services during the boxer rebellion in china, or was adapted and adopted by australian army from 1917 onwards.