Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

My Tunic is Out at the Elbows

Traditional

“My Tunic is Out at the Elbows” as printed in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 287 1918 · historical text
Public domainSoldier songHistorical song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

My tunic is out at the elbows,

My trousers are out at the knee,

My puttees are ragged and frazzled

But the Q.M. says nothing for me.

Verse 2

My Tummy knocks hard on my backbone,

My dial is thin as can be;

Still all we get handed at mealtimes,

Is bully and Machonochie.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918), “My Tunic is Out at the Elbows”

The 1918 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; other entries are held.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. 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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