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Kobe House Blues
By Norman Colley
(Tune 'Down and Out Blues')

A long time ago - before this war began
We'd never been away from home; we'd never seen Japan.
We didn't work so very hard and we got lots of pay,
But now we slave from week to week for 15 sen a day.
We've tried to be like great big stevedores
Until the day when we can even scores.
There's one song we render - sing it and remember.

When you're tired and lonesome, working down on the docks,
And the bottom's are falling out of your shoes,
What are you going to say? What are you going to do?
Sing the Kobe House Blues.

We've carried satoo, bricks and stones and bran,
And to cap it all we haven't heard any news.
Your back is nearly broke; you're working like a moke,
Sing the Kobe House Blues.

When your dreams of loot have gone astray,
And all the cans you've found are badly blown.
Loot --and the boys loot with you;
Get caught --and you stand all alone.

You've emptied barges, trucks and barakis,
And you feel you'd like to have a little snooze.
But instead of 'yasume', they shout out 'go ahei',
Oh! those Kobe House Blues.

All you possess in this great big world
Is an appetite you're trying your best to lose.
Your neko's broken, your kagis are blunt and bent;
Sing the Kobe House Blues.

But that distant day will come along,
When Uncle Sam is going to set us free:
Oh! What a time we all will have;
Oh! What a Jamboree!

When we're dressed again in civvies,
Bags of grub and cash,
A decent fag to smoke and beer to booze,
And when we have our fling
There's a song we'll never sing
That's the KOBE HOUSE BLUES.

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