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Yanks : $b A.E.F. verse: originally published in "The Stars and Stripes," the official newspaper of the American expeditionary forcesVarious

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Yanks : $b A.E.F. verse: originally published in "The Stars and Stripes," the official newspaper of the American expeditionary forces

Name: Yanks : $b A.E.F. verse: originally published in "The Stars and Stripes," the official newspaper of the American expeditionary forces
Author: Various

Various

American poetry -- 20th century; World War, 1914-1918 -- Poetry

Oh, she’s nothin’ sweet to look at an’ no symphony to hear;
   She ain’t no pome of beauty, that’s a cinch—
 She howls like Holy Jumpin’ when a feller shifts a gear,
   But she’s sure a lovey-dovey in a pinch.
 Just head her straight for Berlin and no matter what the road,
   Or whether it’s just trenches, trees, and mud,
 And I’ll guarantee she’ll get there with her precious human load
   And her treads a-drippin’ red with German blood.
           Oh, you tank! tank! tank!
           She’s a pippin’, she’s a daisy, she’s a dream!
 Where the star-shells are a-lightin’ up the thickest of the fightin’,
           She’ll be sailin’ like a demon through the gleam.


 If the way is rough and stony and the vantage point is far,
   Just slip her into high and hang on tight,
 Shove your foot down on the throttle and to hell with all the jar!—
   She’ll take you clean from here to out of sight.
 ’Course you’ve got to clean and scrub her same as any piece of tin
   That’s worth the smoke to blow her up the flue;
 But just whisper to her gently, pat her back and yell “Giddap!”
   And there ain’t a thing she wouldn’t do for you.
           Oh, you tank! tank! tank!
           She’s a Lulu, she’s a cuckoo! She’s the goods!
 When the Boches see you comin’, they will set the air to hummin’
           A-wavin’ of their legs to reach the woods.

 When the last great rush is over and the last grim trench is past,
   She will roll in high right through old Berlin town,

 Her grim old sides a-shakin’ and her innerds raisin’ hob,
   Intent on runnin’ Kaiser William down.
 Then she’ll find him and we’ll bind him to her grindin’, tearin’ treads,
   And we’ll start her rollin’ on the road to hell,
 Shove her into high and leave her, tie her bloomin’ throttle down—
   We’ll say she’s lived her life and lived it well.
           Oh, you tank! tank! tank!
           She’s a devil! She’s a dandy! She’s sublime!
 When her grimy hide goes hurlin’ through the dirty streets of Berlin,
           Watch the goose step change to Yankee double time!
   RICHARD C. COLBURN, Sgt., Tank Corps.




                              THE NEW ARMY


                  Who are those soldiers
                    Who go marching down?
                  They’re the young fellows
                    Of your old home town.

                  The butcher’s son, the baker’s,
                    His Honor’s lad, too;
                  The old casual mixture
                    Of Gentile and Jew.

                  Don’t they march manly!
                    Ay, they step light;
                  And soon by the papers
                    Ye’ll see they can fight!
                                    R. R. KIRK, S.S.U.




                            TOUJOURS LE MÊME

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Yanks : $b A.E.F. verse: originally published in "The Stars and Stripes," the official newspaper of the American expeditionary forces

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