| |
| HE took a thousand islands and he didn’t lose a man— | |
| (Raise your heads and cheer him as he goes!) | |
| He licked the sneaky Spaniard till the fellow cut and ran, | |
| For fighting’s part of what a Yankee knows. | |
| |
| He fought ’em and he licked ’em, and he didn’t give a d—— | 5 |
| (It was only his profession for to win), | |
| He sank their boats beneath ’em, and he spared ’em as they swam, | |
| And then he sent his ambulances in. | |
| |
| He had no word to cheer him and had no bands to play, | |
| He had no crowds to make his duty brave; | 10 |
| But he risked the deep torpedoes at the breaking of the day, | |
| For he knew he had our self-respect to save. | |
| |
| He flew the angry signal crying justice for the Maine, | |
| He flew it from his flagship as he fought. | |
| He drove the tardy vengeance in the very teeth of Spain, | 15 |
| And he did it just because he thought he ought. | |
| |
| He busted up their batteries, and sank eleven ships | |
| (He knew what he was doing, every bit); | |
| He set the Maxims going like a hundred cracking whips, | |
| And every shot that crackled was a hit. | 20 |
| |
| He broke ’em and he drove ’em, and he didn’t care at all, | |
| He only liked to do as he was bid; | |
| He crumpled up their squadron and their batteries and all,— | |
| He knew he had to lick ’em, and he did. | |
| |
| And when the thing was finished and they flew the frightened flag, | 25 |
| He slung his guns and sent his foot ashore, | |
| And he gathered in their wounded, and he quite forgot to brag, | |
| For he thought he did his duty, nothing more. | |
| |
| Oh, he took a thousand islands and he didn’t lose a man— | |
| (Raise your heads and cheer him as he goes!) | 30 |
| He licked the sneaky Spaniard till the fellow cut and ran, | |
| For fighting’s part of what a Yankee knows! | |
| |
