Poor Michael

There were two blackbirds up a tree

Hauling up the arras line

Says one of them, "What do I see"

"Up the line (up the line)?"

"What's fallen down into the sand?

"What tries in vain to sit or stand?"

"A chunk of mineral through its knee"

"Poor Michael's up to Calvary"

Says the other one, "Now I did hear"

"Hauling up the arras line"

"In Normandy, that voice ran clear"

"Up the line (up the line)"

Says, "That will live in gay Paris"

"Singing, swinging on a spree"

"And kiss them French maids"

"One, two, three"

"Poor Michael's up to Calvary"

That flew away with a multitude

Hauling up the arras line (hauling up the arras line)

And joined a bold and cheery crew

Up the line (up the line)

They slept in mud and wind and rain

Cursed the cold and cried in pain

Were cut down like these rowan trees

Poor Michael's up to Calvary

"My memory it does reveal"

"Hauling up the arras line"

"That's fathers marching through this field"

"Up the line (up the line)"

"He's come to join his daddy dear"

"To lie down and to disappear (disappear)"

"Well, such a wonderful progeny (progeny)"

Poor Michael's up to Calvary