I Wish I Was a Blue Job

Sometimes, the speaker wishes to be an Air Force pilot ("Blue Job") soaring in the sky, avoiding the need to walk.

The desire to fly and escape the physical constraints of walking.

Despite the wish, the speaker acknowledges being a soldier ("Brown Job") until death, possibly referring to a ground-based military role.

The speaker mentions having ten years left in the R.L.I. (Rhodesian Light Infantry), indicating military service commitment.

Descriptions of the Sergeant and Medic during enlistment, emphasizing their tough appearances and the speaker's initiation process.

Had a face like the back of a truck

A tattoo on each knee

And legs like a Mukwa tree

And the Medic that did my test

He left me standing in my vest

And then when I didn't see

He stamped me with a T.A.P.

Reiteration of the desire to be a pilot ("Blue Job") and the acceptance of being a soldier ("Brown Job") in the R.L.I.

I wouldn't have to walk if I could fly

But, I'll be a Brown Job until I die

With ten years to go in the R.L.I.

Anecdotes from the quartermaster store and cookhouse, highlighting challenges and humorous situations faced by soldiers.

I said I take size 4

They gave me size 3 for sports

It was a pair of open neck shorts

I was in the cookhouse queue

Waiting for my beans and stew

The cook just winks at me

And slips the bluestone in my tea

Repetition of the longing to be a pilot and the resignation to being a ground-based soldier.

I wouldn't have to walk if I could fly

But, I'll be a Brown Job until I die

With ten years to go in the R.L.I.

Depiction of challenging military conditions, including standing on parade, exposure to sun, and the difficulty of assault courses.

Never get a bit of shade

Out in the blazing sun

With the temperature a hundred and one

And you know there's nothing worse

Than doing the assault course

When the sweat is running free

And it smells like a chipotle

Expressing the recurring wish to be a pilot contrasted with the reality of being a soldier in the R.L.I.

I wouldn't have to walk if I could fly

But, I'll be a Brown Job until I die

With ten years to go in the R.L.I.

Narrative about a recent engagement, where the enemy ("terrs") fled. The speaker prefers facing danger in combat over alternative roles ("slope" or "fuzz").

But the terrs all ran away

We were firing the M.A.G.

From the hip like Audie Murphy

So if I go up in a puff of smoke

It's better than being a slope

Or a fuzz from the B.S.A.P.

I'd very much rather be me

Final repetition of the desire to be a pilot juxtaposed with acceptance of the soldier's life in the R.L.I.

I wouldn't have to walk if I could fly

But, I'll be a Brown Job until I die

With ten years to go in the R.L.I.