See the lyrics. Song written to the old poem 'The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God' by (the old poet) J Milton Hayes the_mad_recruit_19d.mp3
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Story behind the song
song written to the old poem 'The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God' by J Milton Hayes
Lyrics
There's a one-eyed,
Yellow idol
To the north of Katmandu
There's a little
Marble cross
Below the town
There's a broken-
Hearted woman
Tends the grave of the Mad Recruit
And the yellow God
Forever gazes down!
He was known as the "Mad Recruit"
By the subs of Katmandu
He was better
Than they felt inclined to tell
But for all his foolish pranks
He was worshipped in the ranks
Yes he was
And the Colonel's daughter
Smiled on him, as well
He had loved her all along
With the passion of the strong
The fact that she loved him
Was plain to all
She was nearly twenty-one
And arrangements had begun
To celebrate her birthday
With a Ball!
He wrote to ask
What present
She would like from the Mad Recruit
The met next day
As he dismissed a squad
And jestingly
She told him then
That nothing else would
But the green eye
Of the little Yellow God!
On the night
Before the dance
Mad Carew seemed in a trance
They chaffed him
As they puffed at they're cigars
But for once
He had failed to smile
And he sat alone a while
And went out into the night
Beneath the stars!
He returned
Before the dawn
With his shirt and tunic torn
And a gash across his temple
Dripping red
He was patched up right away
And he slept all through the day
And the Colonel's daughter
Watched beside his bed
He woke at last
And asked
if they would send his tunic through
She brought it
And he thanked her with a nod
He bade her search the pocket
Saying "That's from the Mad Recruit"
And she found the little
Green Eye of the God!
She upbraided poor Carew
In the way that women do
Though both her eyes
Were strangely hot and wet
But then she would not take the stone
And Carew was left alone
With the jewel
That he chanced his live to get!
When the Ball was at it's height
On that still and tropic night
She thought of him
And hastened to his room
As she crossed the barrack square
She could hear in the dreamy air
Of a waltz tune
Softly stealing through the gloom
His door was open wide
With the silver moonlight shining through
The place was wet and slippery
Where she trod
An ugly knife
Lay buried in the heart of the Mad Recruit
'Twas the vengence
Of the Little Yellow God!
There's a one-eyed yellow idol
To the North of Katmandu
There's a little marble cross below the town
There's a broken-hearted woman
Tends the grave of the Mad Recruit
And the Yellow God
Forever Gazes Down!
Words From: "The Green Eye of the Yellow God" by J. Milton Hayes
