Boots (poem)

"Boots" is a poem by English author and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). It was first published in 1903, in his collection The Five Nations.

"Boots" imagines the repetitive thoughts of a British Army infantryman marching in South Africa during the Second Boer War. It has been suggested for the first four words of each line to be read slowly, at a rate of two words per second, to align with the cadence a foot soldier normally marches.

Versions

Rudyard Kipling's poem "Boots" performed by Taylor Holmes, 1915

The 1915 spoken-word recording of the poem by American actor Taylor Holmes has been used for its psychological effect in U.S. military SERE schools. Holmes' recitation was also used in the Cinematic trailer for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies map "Terminus" and the first trailer for the 2025 horror film 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle.

The poem was set to music for low male voice and orchestra by "P. J. McCall", and recorded in 1929 by Australian bass-baritone Peter Dawson. McCall was Dawson, publishing under a pseudonym. That setting was soon recorded by other singers, but seems largely to have fallen out of fashion, possibly because of World War II.

American-born British poet T. S. Eliot included the poem in his 1941 anthology A Choice of Kipling's Verse.

Poem

We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin' over Africa

Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin' over Africa --

(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again!)

There's no discharge in the war!

Seven—six—eleven—five—nine-an'-twenty mile to-day

Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before --

(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again!)

There's no discharge in the war!

Don't—don't—don't—don't—look at what's in front of you.

(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again);

Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin' em,

An' there's no discharge in the war!

Count—count—count—count—the bullets in the bandoliers.

If—your—eyes—drop—they will get atop o' you!

(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up and down again) --

There's no discharge in the war!

We—can—stick—out—'unger, thirst, an' weariness,

But—not—not—not—not the chronic sight of 'em,

Boot—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,

An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Taint—so—bad—by—day because o' company,

But night—brings—long—strings—o' forty thousand million

Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again.

There's no discharge in the war!

I—'ave—marched—six—weeks in 'Ell an' certify

It—is—not—fire—devils, dark, or anything,

But boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,

An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different

Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!

(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)

There's no discharge in the war!

Notable recordings

• 1915 – Taylor Holmes (spoken word) Victor B 55057
• 1929 – Peter Dawson HMV B 3072
• n.d. – Leonard Warren
• 1935 – Eric Woodburn
• 1940 – Norman Corwin (spoken recitation) Columbia 36055

External links

• Peter Dawson - Boots on YouTube