A 1917 popular World War I song.
Words and music by Claude Arundale.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
- By the tune on the band, you will understand
I ain’t goin’ to sing of the boys on land
Nor the blokes that fly in the bright blue sky
And if you will listen I’ll tell you why
My song concerns a cove who earns
His pay in a dirty hole, sir
Where you well nigh choke with dust and smoke
As you feed the ship with coal, sir
Chorus
I’m a stoker, I’m the joker
Who works with a shovel and poker
The heat and smell is just like, well
No wonder I’m a horrible soaker
But the Fleet’s afloat and I run the boat
Believe me I’m no croaker
Ask Jellicoe, he’ll say, “What ho!
Hats off to the stoker!!”
- The boys on deck, they risk their neck
But we all go down when the ship’s a wreck
The fires I feed, and it’s me they need
To buck ’em up with a record speed
For the likes o’ me there’s no V. C.
With a banquet served by waiters
When you’re hit below by a Torpedo
It’s goodbye fish and taters
Chorus
I’m a stoker, I’m the joker
Who works with a shovel and poker
The heat and smell is just like, well
No wonder I’m a horrible soaker
But the Fleet’s afloat and I run the boat
Believe me I’m no croaker
Ask Jellicoe, he’ll say, “What ho!
Hats off to the stoker!!”
Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves
And the Allies know how much they owe
To the good old British Stoker
Take your hats off! Take your boots off
To the dirty old grimy stoker
Sung here by Fred Feild: