John Robert Mallernee

FROGGY’S SONG

Verse # 1:

Lonely nights, lonely days,
It’s a world of lonely ways
For a soldier of the Crown
Far from home.
There are chances to take
And there’s rules you must break
In some land far beyond
The ocean’s foam.
It’s the life that you lead
And the therapy you need
For the heartache
That never goes away.
Though you hide the awful fears,
There are still the unseen tears
For romantic moments of a bygone day.

Verse # 2:

When bagpipes start to play,
There’s a Royal debt to pay.
Faithful soldiers of the Crown
Will heed the call.
In a world that’s on fire,
Every man must earn his hire,
And sometimes, you must stand
Or you will fall.
From Sandhurst to Hong Kong,
British fusiliers stand strong:
Dirty deeds to be done
To make things right.
Ever since you were a lad,
It’s a dream that you have had,
To really live like a medieval knight.

Verse # 3:

So, with fire and its smoke,
You will always go for broke,
For a soldier of the Crown
Must do his part.
There is no turning back
And there isn’t any slack,
For a loyal fusilier
Has lots of heart.
Through the bomb’s awful blast,
Soldiers still must stand fast.
Valiant faith helps keep him
From falling down.
Today’s trial, too, shall pass
And tomorrow’s English lass
Will bring love
To a soldier of the Crown.

Conclude:

Today’s trial, too, shall pass
And tomorrow’s English lass
Will bring love
To a soldier of the Crown.

Author’s Note: A few years ago, I debuted in my very first play, THE FOREIGNER, by Larry Shue (deceased), in which I played Staff Sergeant “Froggy” LeSeuer, a British explosives expert training American soldiers in Georgia. As I rehearsed for the play, I was inspired to compose this ballad about my fictitious character.