Tommy
I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!
Commentary
It’s hard to apply superlatives to Kipling’s poems. ‘Tommy’ is one of my favourites, true, but that is a much-diluted honour. It’s also one of his best-known works, but again, that’s saying little - the sheer volume and diversity of his poetry has made many of them famous in many different genres. Certainly no canonical list of war poems would be complete without this minor masterpiece, expressing with a startling accuracy the plight of the soldier. It is unsurprising that Kipling’s reputation, great as it was, was outstripped by his popularity - he was that wonderfully contradictory being, the common man’s Nobel laureate.
Note, once again, the wonderful interplay of form and content, as the rough dialect of the ‘common’ man blends with the pulse-steady metre of the soldier, and the way in which the natural rhythms of speech have been captured without ever straining the scansion.
Background
‘Tommy’ was Tommy Atkins, the generic term for a British soldier.
Thomas Atkins (also Thomas): a familiar name for the typical private soldier in the British Army; arising out of the casual use of this name in the specimen forms given in the official regulations from 1815 onward: see quots.
In some of the specimen forms other names are used; but `Thomas Atkins’ being that used in all the forms for privates in the Cavalry or Infantry, is by far the most frequent, and thus became the most familiar. Now more popularly Tommy Atkins or Tommy.
* 1815 (Aug. 31) War Office, Collection of Orders, Regulations, etc.
75 (Form of a Soldier's Book in the Cavalry when filled up).
Description, Service, &c. of Thomas Atkins, Private, No. 6 Troop,
6th Regt. of Dragoons. Where Born... Parish of Odiham, Hants...
Bounty, L6. Received, Thomas Atkins, his x mark;
– OED
The ‘Widow’ in the last verse referred to Queen Victoria.
Criticism
Rudyard Kipling was, in his grand style, the bard of British Imperialism, and in his dialect poems, the voice of the common soldier. Anyone interested in the military history of the period owes it to himself to become at least passingly familiar with Kipling’s soldierly verse.
Kipling is often ignored today, because his exultation in the supposed moral and cultural superiority of European (and specifically British) civilization makes liberal-minded twentieth-century readers wince. But the human virtues that Kipling is most concerned with - courage, duty, honor, decency, commitment and grit - he is quick to recognize in men and women from all classes and races. That he shared and promoted the near-universal prejudices of the pre-Twentieth Century worldview should not diminish our appreciation of his artistic achievements.
Aside from the normal problems to be expected of reading century-old poetry, reading Kipling introduces a few extra difficulties; born and reared in India, he liberally seasons his verse with Asian and African words, and his soldier poems are written in the lower-class dialect of the archetypical British enlisted man, dropping final “g”s and any “h”s which are normally
– David Helber, http://zeitcom.com/majgen/09kipling.html
And finally, Kipling’s self-appointed role as the spokesman of the common soldier is best summed up in his own words: following is the dedication from his Barrack Room Ballads.
Dedication
To T. A.
I have made for you a song,
And it may be right or wrong,
But only you can tell me if it's true;
I have tried for to explain
Both your pleasure and your pain,
And, Thomas, here's my best respects to you!
O there'll surely come a day
When they'll give you all your pay,
And treat you as a Christian ought to do;
So, until that day comes round,
Heaven keep you safe and sound,
And, Thomas, here's my best respects to you!
– R. K.
— Martin
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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Balfour · 21 August 2000
TO WHOM EVER,
I’ve come to the stark realization, that even our country is guilty of this.
We aren’t treated well unless the cowardly populations are afraid.
R.P.Balfour
U.S.N. (ret.)
DR. EDWARD L. ROSE · 24 September 2000
Mickey: “Tommy” is so true and appropose . the good (cpt.?)balfour usn ret. comments speak for me as well.
as for lawyers..some jag officer probably saw a way to greener pastures and was the “real” father of all the tailhook fiasco when he undertook to bury a warrior.
g.s.patton,jr. said about his warriors.
“if a man does not want to “fuck”, he will not fight.!!”pass out those “pro kits”now.g’damn it fuck this non- fratinization shit.. amen! as quoted from my father who at the time he heard this from gsp,jr was on pattons staff in operations, outside of st. lo france. leadership…!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hooah
rose
John Mitchell · 14 September 2001
I just posted “Tommy” on a web site where I frequently join in discussions. Unfortunately, the events of 9/11/2001 will cause the phenomenon so well expressed by Rudyard Kipling to be manifested yet again.
jtm
usn (ret)
Claudine Jones · 12 December 2001
Hello & could anyone tell me if they’re aware of a song entitled “Private Tommy”, which would have been written around the turn of the century. I’ve a Regina disc which plays the song, but the composer is not legible. So far not able to find any info except this wonderful poem.
thanks!
Claudine
Tony Wesley · 17 November 2002
There is a similar sentiment expressed by Gordon Lightfoot in his song Don Quixote:
“See the soldier with his gun, who must be dead to be admired”
Howard Gordon · 6 March 2003
I remember this from my schooldays seventy years ago. This is so true to life now as it were many years ago. RKY was truily one of the greatest poets of all time.
Sean Benton · 20 April 2003
Hi
Came across this old link,I suppose you have probably found out by now the answer to your query but if not the composers were Henry Hamilton and S.Potter I believe. Regards
Sean
PS I’m writing from East London England,the local dialect being as Tommy speaks in this poem.It’s still true today as seen in the gulf,when Tommy goes to war Britain goes with him ….
peter Corkell · 1 November 2003
A certain member of the present British government refered to ‘thick squaddies’, immediately after the latest Iraq conflict. Apparantly this was not for public consumption as he backtracked very quickly when it hit the media. What this proves is that little has changed since ‘Tommy’ was written.
Patgcox · 8 December 2003
Nothing has changed since Tommy was written, indeed it gets worse. Now to be in uniform is to be an “oppressive” or “reactionary” - apparently synonymous with Fascist in some peoples minds. Some of your readers might find the sentiments expressed by Kipling in the peom “Recessional” of interest - especially in the light of anti-faith and “politically correct” propaganda.
Sean Fernandes · 27 March 2004
Hmmm…I have to disagree with most of the readers above, especially the gentleman who made disparaging remarks about the Tailhook scandal.
Having honor and being able to fight for what you believe in is not the exclusive province of those of us with male genitalia.
McGillicuddy Colin · 4 April 2006
Somehow Rudyard Kipling has missed one of the obvious reasons for the scorn Englishmen showed their “redcoats” - most of those doing the fighting and dying were Irish and Scottish, not English.
Colin McGillicuddy
Principal
St. Thomas Aquinas RCSS
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