In Paris Town, in Paris Town — 't was 'neath an April sky —
I saw a regiment of the line go marching to Versailles;
When white along the Bois there shone the chestnut's waxen cells,
And the sun was winking on the long Lebels,
Flic flac, flic flac , on all the long Lebels!
The flowers were out along the Bois, the leaves were overhead,
And I saw a regiment of the line that swung in blue and red;
The youth of things, the joy of things, they made my heart to beat,
And the quick-step lilting and the tramp of feet!
Flic flac, flic flac , the tramping of the feet!
The spiked nuts have fallen and the leaf is dull and dry
Since last I saw a regiment go marching to Versailles;
And what's become of all of those that heard the music play?
They trained them for the Frontier upon an August day;
Flic flac, flic flac , all on an August day!
And some of them they stumbled on the slippery summer grass,
And there they've left them lying with their faces to Alsace;
The others — so they'd tell you — ere the chestnut's decked for Spring,
Shall march beneath some linden trees to call upon a King;
Flic flac, flic flac , to call upon a King.
I saw a regiment of the line go marching to Versailles;
When white along the Bois there shone the chestnut's waxen cells,
And the sun was winking on the long Lebels,
Flic flac, flic flac , on all the long Lebels!
The flowers were out along the Bois, the leaves were overhead,
And I saw a regiment of the line that swung in blue and red;
The youth of things, the joy of things, they made my heart to beat,
And the quick-step lilting and the tramp of feet!
Flic flac, flic flac , the tramping of the feet!
The spiked nuts have fallen and the leaf is dull and dry
Since last I saw a regiment go marching to Versailles;
And what's become of all of those that heard the music play?
They trained them for the Frontier upon an August day;
Flic flac, flic flac , all on an August day!
And some of them they stumbled on the slippery summer grass,
And there they've left them lying with their faces to Alsace;
The others — so they'd tell you — ere the chestnut's decked for Spring,
Shall march beneath some linden trees to call upon a King;
Flic flac, flic flac , to call upon a King.
"regiment of the Line": the ordinary infantry of the French Army.
"long Lebels": the standard French rifle of World War I.
"in blue and red": during the early months of the war the French infantry continued to wear their conspicuous peacetime uniforms of kepis, blue coats and red trousers.
"trained them for the Frontier": following mobilisation at the beginning of August, the armies of 1914 were entrained by rail to their various assembly points.
"Alsace": the former French province annexed by Germany following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. In 1914 the French attempted to recove Alsace and Lorraine but were repulsed with very heavy losses.
"linden trees": a reference to "Unter der Linden" - a broad avenue in central Berlin running from the Brandenbug Gate to the royal palace.
"call upon a king": Kaiser William II