Private Perks is a funny little codger
With a smile, a funny smile.
Five feet none, He’s an artful little dodger,
With a smile, a sunny smile.
Flush or broke, he’ll have his little joke,
He can’t be suppressed.
All the other fellows have to grin,
When he gets this off his chest, Hi!
Chorus
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
And smile, smile, smile!
While you’ve a Lucifer to light your fag,
Smile, Boys, that’s the style.
What’s the use of worrying?
It never was worth while.
So, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag,
And smile, smile, smile!
Private Perks went a-marching into Flanders,
With a smile, his funny smile.
He was lov’d by the privates and commanders
For his smile, his sunny smile.
When a throng of Bosches came along,
With a mighty swing,
Perks yell’d out, “This little bunch is mine!
Keep your heads down boys and sing”, Hi!
Chorus
Private Perks he came back from Bosche shooting,
With his smile, his funny smile.
Round his home he then set about recruiting,
With his smile, his sunny smile.
He told all his pals, the short, the tall,
What a time he’d had,
And as each enlisted like a man,
Private Perks said “Now my lad,” Hi!
Chorus
Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag Sheet Music
One of the most popular of First World War Songs written in 1915 by George Asat and Felix Powell. The song pays tribute to the typical British Tommy who would smile even in adversity. The word “Lucifer” in the songis a slang word for a match which were always in short supply in World War One as they could only be sent to France under the same stringent conditions as munitions. This led to the invention of the “trench lighter” with it’s wick and flint.