All the boys liked Jimmy Roy

But he took his chances often

Till a shell near that hell named Mt. Sorrel

Made a sandbag Jimmy's coffin

Now the higher ups were planning ops

And they needed boys who were willin'

So for 3 days off we said we'd hunt bosche

And do a raid for Jimmy

On a moonless night in late October

30 boys from the 10th went over

Through the cratered fields we slipped like ghosts

Through no-man's land to their listening post

Now the German lines were so close to mine

That the terrain left no doubt

Once a raid was on we wouldn't last long if

We didn't take their sentries out.

There were jobs despised by boys on both sides

But the one all hated most

Was when it came your time to crawl ahead of the line

And do a watch at the listening post

On a moonless night in late October

30 boys from the 10th went over

Through the cratered fields we slipped like ghosts

Through no-man's land to their listening post

On a raid you get so close you hear their breath

And see the fire die in their eyes

You take a club and a pistol a knife just like a thistle

Leave those bayonnettes behind.

At the appointed time we took our place in line

And I could heard our sergeant whisper

“Keep your heads down boys, keep your voices down

And don't worry ‘bout no prisoners.”

"Keep your head down. Keep your voice down. Keep your head down.”

On a moonless night in late October

30 boys from the 10th went over

Through the cratered fields we slipped like ghosts

Through no-man's land to their listening post

I’d been on raids before

So I took the chore

To kill the scout in no-man's land

Said it would please me well to send that boy to hell

So we could carry out our plan

With the moon's face hid, into their post I slid

But as the sentry turned to face me

I couldn't raise my knife

Because on my life

That boy looked so much like Jimmy

On a moonless night in late October

30 boys from the 10th went over

Through the cratered fields we slipped like ghosts

Through no-man's land to their listening post

In that moment's pause

All surprise was lost

As the sentry raised a cry

Then my knife struck true like I was trained to do

As Hun flare's lit up the sky

And then the lights shone down

And they gunned us down

And it was over in a minute

We had a butcher's bill of 20 good men killed

I knew where they should send it.

But on moonless nights in late October

I still see those boys from the 10th go over

In my thoughts and dreams they slip like ghosts

Through no-man's land to their listening post

"Keep your head down. Keep your voice down. Keep your head down. Keep your voice down. Keep your head down.”