brian served the beers as long as you could stand
with the lady of the day for a hip to rest my hand
(and later maybe later a breast to lay my head
in the little caravan where brian kept a bed)
and mary murray laughing in that lovely open style
and paddy doyle a boozing and chatting all the while
and titch and bill kelly and all the squaddie gang
with brian keeping pace how that old till rang
some boys from loughborough college
who thought that they could drink
would try and test the company
maybe two or three times I think
we always treated them kindly
never made then look absurd
though old paddy doyle
would try and lay their birds
and the day the police caught us the new sergeant on his rounds
had us all out shivering in that yard with snow upon the ground
and when his talk was over and the law had made his case
and we all properly humble then back to brians place
and to celebrate our evening and just to let us see
how much he really liked us all the next 3 beers were free
then the course was ended and the gang went separate ways
but gently close my eyes and it was only yesterday