Harry Belafonte — Old King Cole

[Verse 1] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his privates three Beer, beer, beer, said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Verse 2] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his corporals three Hup two said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Verse 3] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his sergeants three Yeah, said the sergeants Hup two said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Verse 4] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his shavetails three We do all the work, said the shavetails Yeah, said the sergeants March you kumquats, said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Verse 5] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his captains three Oh, don't be late for the dance, said the captains We do all the work, said the shavetails Yeah, said the sergeants March to the guardhouse said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry [Verse 6] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his chaplains three (Hallelujah) Oh, what a bloody mess, amen, amen, hallelujah Oh, don't be late for the dance, said the captains We do all the work, said the shavetails Yeah, said the sergeants Put it in a bucket, said the corporals Beer, beer, beer, said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Interlude] Are you through? I told you not to march around... That's the Army for you [Verse 7] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his colonels three Oh, what a lovely war, said the colonels Oh, what a bloody mess, amen, amen, hallelujah Oh, don't be late for the dance, said the captains We do al the work, said the shavetails Yeah, said the sergeants March to the end, said the corporals Beer, beer, beer, said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry (Hup two, three four; hup two, three, four) [Verse 8] Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his generals three Uh, uh, oh, come on, fellas, give a fella break Uh, what's my next command, said the generals Oh, what a lovely war, said the colonels Oh, what a bloody mess, amen Oh, what a bloody mess said the captains Oh, what a bloody mess, said the shavetails Oh, what a bloody mess, said the sergeants Oh, what a bloody mess said the sergeants Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry [Outro] There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Ha, we didn't mean that eitheroul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his privates three "Beer, beer, beer", said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his corporals three Hup two said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his sergeants three Yeahhhhh, said the sergeants Hup two said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his shavetails three We do all the work said the shavetails Yeahhhh, said the sergeants March you dump watch said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his captains three Oh don't be late for the dance said the captains We do all the work, said the shavetails Yeahhhhh said the sergeants March to the guardhouse said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his chaplains three Oh what a bloody mess, amen amen hallelujah Oh don't be late for the dance, said the captains We do all the work, said the shavetails Yeahhhh said the sergeants Put it in a bucket said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his colonels three Oh what a lovely war, said the colonels Oh what a bloody mess, amen, amen hallelujah Oh don't be late for the dance said the captains We do al the work said the shavetails Yeahhhhh said the sergeants March to the end said the corporals Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry Old King Cole was a merry old soul And a merry old soul was he Called for his pipe And he called for his bowl And he called for his generals three Thuh, thuh, Oh come on fellahs, give a fellah break Uh what's my next command said the generals Oh what a lovely war said the colonels Oh what a bloody mess, amen Oh what a bloody mess said the captains Oh what a bloody mess, said the shavetails Oh what a bloody mess, said the sergeants Oh what a bloody mess said the sergeants Beer, beer, beer said the privates Merry men are we There's none so fair as can compare With the Fighting Infantry