As the fiery, swollen Summer Sun
Sank slowly l, very slowly
And a perfect end came to a perfect day

And deep purple painted the Matusadona Mountains
We reeled our lines
And put our rods away

We turned our boats for the homeward run
And then the final sunset
Turned into an ogre crimson red

And then so very suddenly
And it was almost legendary
Nyami-nyami raised his fearful head
His fearful head

On guard
On guard
Nyami-nyami raised his fearful head

On guard
On guard
Nyami-nyami raised his fearful head

From nowhere came a storm
And then the driving rain came stinging
And lashing down into our open boat

The wind was howling loudly
As water lapped our feet
We bailed so frantically
To keep ourselves afloat

Then land came out of nowhere
Where no island in Cariba
Had definitely never stood before

We steered for it
And as our keel was crunching
And we stumbled out onto an unfound shore
An unfound shore

On guard
On guard
We stumbled out onto an unfound shore

On guard
On guard
We stumbled out onto an unfound shore

As dusk was dropping around us
In that damp and rainy night!
We saw the distant glow of twinkling lights

It was an army camp
Laid out upon a mountain hill
The sentry met us and lead us through the night

Without a word he beckoned
And we followed him into
A tinted, wretched metal mess

Who’s walls one hung with badges and with blocks
RAR to SAS
To SAS

On guard
On guard
On guard RAR to SAS

On guard
On guard
On guard RAR to SAS

Shivering we stared at all the men that now had gathered
And filled the tables in that mystic tent
All with colored stable belts and badges that told
Of each and every regiment.

Then steaming food for each of us
Was piled and served
Then presented in shining nest tins

And good golden whiskey
Was served to us in pride
That filled our crystal glasses to their brims
To their brims

On guard
On guard
They filled our crystal glasses to their brims

On guard
On guard
They filled our crystal glasses to their brims

We ate and very slowly
With the warmth of that food
Finally did our scattered wits return

And questions that each one of us
Dearly dared to ask
In our mixed up brains began to burn

What is this place?
Where are we and who are you?
And why is it that you must

Guard these barrel honours
That some have long forgotten
And other lost in old cathedral dust
Cathedral dust

On guard
On guard
They are not lost in old Cathedral dust

On guard
On guard
They are not lost in old Cathedral dust

Then one by one men rose up
And so solemnly they stared
Then their colonel spoke from in that silent throng

Then he called them from the honour roll
And the manner in which they died
Then we drank our golden whisky deep and long

He said a war was won and lost
Politicians posture briefly
Names and even people change

Go back, take the word
Here on this father’s breech
We stand for our beloved land remains
Our land remains

On guard
On guard
We stand for our beloved land remains

On guard
On guard
We stand for our beloved land remains

On guard
On guard
We stand for our beloved land remains

On guard
On guard
We stand for our beloved land remains