Loot
If you've ever stole a pheasant-egg be'ind the keeper's back,If you've ever snigged the washin' from the line,If you've ever crammed a gander in your bloomin' 'aversack,You will understand this little song o' mine.But the service rules are 'ard, an' from such we are debarred,For the same with English morals does not suit.(Cornet: Toot! toot!)W'y, they call a man a robber if 'e stuffs 'is marchin' clobberWith the --(Chorus) Loo! loo! Lulu! lulu! Loo! loo! Loot! loot! loot!Ow the loot!Bloomin' loot!That's the thing to make the boys git up an' shoot!It's the same with dogs an' men,If you'd make 'em come againClap 'em forward with a Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot!(ff) Whoopee! Tear 'im, puppy! Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot!
If you've knocked a nigger edgeways when 'e's thrustin' for your life,You must leave 'im very careful where 'e fell;An' may thank your stars an' gaiters if you didn't feel 'is knifeThat you ain't told off to bury 'im as well.Then the sweatin' Tommies wonder as they spade the beggars underWhy lootin' should be entered as a crime;So if my song you'll 'ear, I will learn you plain an' clear'Ow to pay yourself for fightin' overtime.(Chorus) With the loot, . . .
Now remember when you're 'acking round a gilded Burma godThat 'is eyes is very often precious stones;An' if you treat a nigger to a dose o' cleanin'-rod'E's like to show you everything 'e owns.When 'e won't prodooce no more, pour some water on the floorWhere you 'ear it answer 'ollow to the boot(Cornet: Toot! toot!) --When the ground begins to sink, shove your baynick down the chink,An' you're sure to touch the --(Chorus) Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot!Ow the loot! . . .
When from 'ouse to 'ouse you're 'unting, you must always work in pairs --It 'alves the gain, but safer you will find --For a single man gets bottled on them twisty-wisty stairs,An' a woman comes and clobs 'im from be'ind.When you've turned 'em inside out, an' it seems beyond a doubtAs if there weren't enough to dust a flute(Cornet: Toot! toot!) --Before you sling your 'ook, at the 'ousetops take a look,For it's underneath the tiles they 'ide the loot.(Chorus) Ow the loot! . . .
You can mostly square a Sergint an' a Quartermaster too,If you only take the proper way to go;I could never keep my pickin's, but I've learned you all I knew --An' don't you never say I told you so.An' now I'll bid good-bye, for I'm gettin' rather dry,An' I see another tunin' up to toot(Cornet: Toot! toot!) --So 'ere's good-luck to those that wears the Widow's clo'es,An' the Devil send 'em all they want o' loot!(Chorus) Yes, the loot,Bloomin' loot!In the tunic an' the mess-tin an' the boot!It's the same with dogs an' men,If you'd make 'em come again(fff) Whoop 'em forward with a Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot!Heeya! Sick 'im, puppy! Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot!
Words in this poem
- stole n.
- A long, loose garment reaching to the feet. [AS. stole, L. stola, Gr. stall. See Stall.]
- gander n.
- The male of any species of goose. [AS. gandra, ganra, akin to Prov. G. gander, ganter, and E. goose, gannet. See Goose.]
- toot v. i.
- To stand out, or be prominent. Howell. [OE. toten, AS. totian to project; hence, to peep out.]
- loot n.
- The act of plundering. [Hind. l, Skr. l, l, booty, lup to break, spoil; prob. akin to E. rob.]
- puppy n.
- The young of a canine animal, esp. of the common dog; a whelp. [F. poupée doll, puppet. See Puppet, and cf. Pup, n.]
- nigger n.
- A negro; -- in vulgar derision or depreciation.
- edgeways adv.
- With the edge towards anything; in the direction of the edge.
- thank n.
- A expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received; obligation, claim, or desert, or gratitude; -- now generally used in the plural. [AS. Þanc, Þonc, thanks, favor, thought; akin to OS. thank favor, pleasure, thanks, D. & G. dank thanks, Icel. Þ\'94kk, Dan. tak, Sw. tack, Goth. Þagks thanks; -]
- overtime n.
- Time beyond, or in excess of, a limit; esp., extra working time.
- bottled a.
- Put into bottles; inclosed in bottles; pent up in, or as in, a bottle.
- quartermaster n.
- An officer whose duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend the supplies. [Quarter + master: cf. F. quartier- maître.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Loot is in the public domain. This text is taken from Verses 1889-1896, Project Gutenberg ebook #323; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rudyard Kipling, Loot, in Verses 1889–1896 (1889–1896), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #323, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/kipling-verses/loot.html, id L16748.
Form and metre
Loot is 63 lines in 5 stanzas. 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.3 syllables. 1 line ends on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 21% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB-CC--CCCCDDCC backA · lineB · aversackA · mineB · debarred · suitC · tootC · clobber · the · lootC · lootC · lootC · shootC · menD · againD · lootC · lootC
- 2 ABAB-C-C- lifeA · fellB · knifeA · wellB · under · crimeC · clear · overtimeC · loot
- 3 ABAB-CC--CC godA · stonesB · rodA · ownsB · floor · bootC · tootC · chink · the · lootC · lootC
- 4 ABAB-CC-CC pairsA · findB · stairsA · be'indB · doubt · fluteC · tootC · look · lootC · lootC
- 5 ABAB-CC-CCCCDDCC tooA · goB · knewA · soB · dry · tootC · tootC · clo'es · lootC · lootC · lootC · bootC · menD · againD · lootC · lootC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| If you've ever stole a pheasant-egg be'ind the keeper's back, | 13 | ··/··/˘···/˘· |
| If you've ever snigged the washin' from the line, | 10 | ··/······· |
| If you've ever crammed a gander in your bloomin' 'aversack, | 14 | ··/··/˘······· |
| You will understand this little song o' mine. | 11 | ···˘/·/˘··· |
| But the service rules are 'ard, an' from such we are debarred, | 14 | ··/˘········˘/ |
| For the same with English morals does not suit. | 11 | ····/˘/˘··· |
| (Cornet: Toot! toot!) | 4 | ˘/·· |
| W'y, they call a man a robber if 'e stuffs 'is marchin' clobber | 16 | ······/˘······/˘ |
| With the -- | 2 | ·· |
| (Chorus) Loo! loo! Lulu! lulu! Loo! loo! Loot! loot! loot! | 13 | /˘··/·/······ |
| Ow the loot! | 3 | ··· |
| Bloomin' loot! | 3 | ··· |
| That's the thing to make the boys git up an' shoot! | 11 | ··········· |
| It's the same with dogs an' men, | 7 | ······· |
| If you'd make 'em come again | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Clap 'em forward with a Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! | 11 | ··/˘····/·· |
| (ff) Whoopee! Tear 'im, puppy! Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot! | 14 | ·//··/˘··/···· |
| If you've knocked a nigger edgeways when 'e's thrustin' for your life, | 15 | ····/˘/········ |
| You must leave 'im very careful where 'e fell; | 11 | ····/˘/˘··· |
| An' may thank your stars an' gaiters if you didn't feel 'is knife | 15 | ······/˘··/˘··· |
| That you ain't told off to bury 'im as well. | 11 | ······/˘··· |
| Then the sweatin' Tommies wonder as they spade the beggars under | 16 | ··/˘/˘/˘····/˘·· |
| Why lootin' should be entered as a crime; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| So if my song you'll 'ear, I will learn you plain an' clear | 13 | ············· |
| 'Ow to pay yourself for fightin' overtime. | 11 | ···˘/·/˘/˘· |
| (Chorus) With the loot, . . . | 5 | /˘··· |
| Now remember when you're 'acking round a gilded Burma god | 15 | ·˘/˘······/˘/˘· |
| That 'is eyes is very often precious stones; | 11 | ····/˘/˘/˘· |
| An' if you treat a nigger to a dose o' cleanin'-rod | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| 'E's like to show you everything 'e owns. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| When 'e won't prodooce no more, pour some water on the floor | 14 | ·········/˘··· |
| Where you 'ear it answer 'ollow to the boot | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| (Cornet: Toot! toot!) -- | 4 | ˘/·· |
| When the ground begins to sink, shove your baynick down the chink, | 14 | ···˘/········· |
| An' you're sure to touch the -- | 6 | ······ |
| (Chorus) Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot! | 9 | /˘··/···· |
| Ow the loot! . . . | 3 | ··· |
| When from 'ouse to 'ouse you're 'unting, you must always work in pairs -- | 15 | ··········/···· |
| It 'alves the gain, but safer you will find -- | 11 | ·/˘···/˘··· |
| For a single man gets bottled on them twisty-wisty stairs, | 15 | ··/˘··/˘··/˘··· |
| An' a woman comes and clobs 'im from be'ind. | 10 | ··/˘······ |
| When you've turned 'em inside out, an' it seems beyond a doubt | 14 | ····˘/········ |
| As if there weren't enough to dust a flute | 11 | ···/˘˘/···· |
| (Cornet: Toot! toot!) -- | 4 | ˘/·· |
| Before you sling your 'ook, at the 'ousetops take a look, | 14 | ·············· |
| For it's underneath the tiles they 'ide the loot. | 11 | ···˘/······ |
| (Chorus) Ow the loot! . . . | 5 | /˘··· |
| You can mostly square a Sergint an' a Quartermaster too, | 15 | ··/˘······/˘·˘· |
| If you only take the proper way to go; | 11 | ··/˘··/˘··· |
| I could never keep my pickin's, but I've learned you all I knew -- | 14 | ··/··/˘······· |
| An' don't you never say I told you so. | 9 | ···/····· |
| An' now I'll bid good-bye, for I'm gettin' rather dry, | 13 | ········/˘/˘· |
| An' I see another tunin' up to toot | 11 | ···˘/˘····· |
| (Cornet: Toot! toot!) -- | 4 | ˘/·· |
| So 'ere's good-luck to those that wears the Widow's clo'es, | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| An' the Devil send 'em all they want o' loot! | 10 | ··/······· |
| (Chorus) Yes, the loot, | 5 | /˘··· |
| Bloomin' loot! | 3 | ··· |
| In the tunic an' the mess-tin an' the boot! | 11 | ··/˘······· |
| It's the same with dogs an' men, | 7 | ······· |
| If you'd make 'em come again | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| (fff) Whoop 'em forward with a Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot! | 14 | ···/˘····/···· |
| Heeya! Sick 'im, puppy! Loo! loo! Lulu! Loot! loot! loot! | 12 | ···/˘··/···· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.