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by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)

Leave your home behind, lad
Language: English 
Leave your home behind, lad,
  And reach your friends your hand,
And go, and luck go with you
  While Ludlow tower shall stand.

Oh, come you home of Sunday
  When Ludlow streets are still
And Ludlow bells are calling
  To farm and lane and mill,

Or come you home of Monday
  When Ludlow market hums
And Ludlow chimes are playing
  `The conquering hero comes,'

Come you home a hero,
  Or come not home at all,
The lads you leave will mind you
  Till Ludlow tower shall fall.

And you will list the bugle
  That blows in lands of morn,
And make the foes of England
  Be sorry you were born.

And you till trump of doomsday
  On lands of morn may lie,
And make the hearts of comrades
  Be heavy where you die.

Leave your home behind you,
  Your friends by field and town:
Oh, town and field will mind you
  Till Ludlow tower is down.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936), "The recruit", appears in A Shropshire Lad, no. 3, first published 1896 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Robert Ainsworth , "The recruit", published 1932 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Henry Balfour Gardiner (1877 - 1950), "The Recruit", published 1906, first performed 1906 [ voice and piano or orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Horatio William Parker (1863 - 1919), "The recruit", published 1920 [ voice and piano ], in The Progressive Music Series, Book 4 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John Ramsden Williamson (1929 - 2015), "The recruit - Leave your home behind, lad" [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-19
Line count: 28
Word count: 156

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