George Asaf: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Private Perks Is a Funny Little Codger

George Asaf

“Private Perks Is a Funny Little Codger” as printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920).

George Asaf: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1920 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Army and Navy Hymnal, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

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1 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 funny 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.

Verse 2

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.

2 Private Perks went a marching into Flanders

With his smile—his funny smile.

He was loved by the privates and commanders

For his smile—his funny smile.

When a throng of Bosches came along

With a mighty swing,

Perks yelled out, 'This little bunch is mine!

Keep your hands down, boys and sing.'-Ref.

3 Private Perks he came back from Bosch-e shooting

With his smile—his funny smile.

Round his home he then set about recruiting

With his smile—his funny 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,-Ref.

Credits

Written by George Asaf

Words by George Asaf. Historical text published in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), “Private Perks Is a Funny Little Codger”

The 1920 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional and anonymous entries are public domain. Pages whose scan quality is below the proofread threshold are held for review.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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