Well how do you do young William McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side
A rest for awhile beneath the warm summer sun
I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done
And I see by your gravestone you were only 19
when you joined the glorious fallen in 1916
Well I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, William McBride, was it slow and obscene
Did they beat the drum slowly
Did they play the fire lowly
Did the sound of their mouths as they lowered you down
Did the bugle play 'The Last Post' in
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined
And though you died back in 1916
in that loyal heart are you forever 19
Did they beat the drum slowly
Did they play the fire lowly
Did the sound of their mouths as they lowered you down
Did the bugle play 'The Last Post' in
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'
And I see by your gravestone you were only 19
when you joined the glorious fallen in 1916
Well I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, William McBride, was it slow, was it obscene
Did they beat the drum slowly
Did they play the fire lowly
Did the sound of their mouths as they lowered you down
Did the bugle play 'The Last Post' in
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'
Did the bugle play 'The Last Post' in
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'