(Verse)
Stitch, stitch, pray, and sleep
Men must work and women must weep
'Twas ever thus since time began
Woman, oh woman, must wait for man

Stitch, stitch, tie the strings
This is the sorry scheme of things
And only one song keeps hearts a-beat
And only one thought makes waiting sweet

(Chorus)
When the boys come home
The clouds will trip lightly away
The clouds will trip lightly away

When the boys come home
We'll all be as merry as May
We'll all be as merry as May

There'll be drums and trumpets
Tea and crumpets
Out on the village green
A silver moon for that reunion scene
Oh what joy

When the boys come home
The clouds will trip lightly away
The clouds will trip lightly away

There'll be drums and trumpets
Tea and crumpets
Out on the village green
A silver moon for that reunion scene
Oh what joy

When the boys come home
The glorious sound of the tramping feet
Will echo down the winding street
That leads to a lane where lovers meet
And may it prove so sweet, so sweet
That they never more will roam
When the boys come home