Flat Dog Blues
Troopie's Journey: Battling Dust and Flat Dog Blues
Lyrics
Come to the river and fill your old canteen
Come to the river and replenish your old canteen
You're about the dustiest trooper I've ever seen
You appear to be the dustiest trooper I've ever seen
Look-ee over there on the sandbank, looks like a log
Look over there on the sandbank; it resembles a log
But if you look again you'll see it's a big flat dog
Upon closer inspection, it's a large flat dog
Come along Troopie
Invitation to a trooper to join
Forget those flat dog blues
Encouragement to overcome melancholy or weariness
Think about the girl back home
Focus on thoughts of the girl back home
And your civvy shoes
Reference to civilian shoes, implying a return to civilian life
Come along Troopie
Another call for the trooper to join
You've got nothing to lose
The trooper has nothing to lose
Only a little bit of time
Only a small amount of time is at stake
So forget those flat dog blues
Suggesting the trooper should forget about feeling low or discouraged
There he is lying with a crocodile tear in his eye
Describing the flat dog with a tear, possibly metaphorical
Smiling you're a crocodile smile as you go by
Commenting on a smiling, perhaps deceitful, demeanor like a crocodile
Reckon if you dare to have
A challenge or dare is presented
A dip in the drink
Suggesting a swim in the river
You're gonna be a flat dog cocktail soon, I think
Warning that taking a dip might turn one into a "flat dog cocktail"
Come along Troopie
Reiteration of the call for the trooper to join
Forget those flat dog blues
Encouragement to overcome the blues
Think about the girl back home
Recall thoughts of the girl back home
And your civvy shoes
Reference to civilian shoes again
Come along Troopie
Another call for the trooper to join
You've got nothing to lose
The trooper has nothing to lose
Only a little bit of time
Only a small amount of time is at stake
So forget those flat dog blues
Suggesting the trooper should forget about feeling low or discouraged
Come along Troopie
Final call for the trooper to join
Forget those flat dog blues
Encouragement to overcome the blues
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