Kiss goodbye, the pretty feathers
Hats for preening, pretty hairdo, your delicate refinement.

Repeat Refrain:

Praise to Bacchus! You’re a soldier!
Grow a moustache, you’ll look older
Gun to shoulder, musket steady
In your scabbard, cutlass ready
In a helmet and some gunny
Gaining honor but little money,
So little money (2X).
And instead of dancing through
the arches
You’ll be knee-deep in mud on your marches.

Over hill and over dale,
Summer’s heat and winter’s gale,
Marching through the trumpet’s scale,
Cannon shells so loud that they’ll
Feel like huge, exploding hail
Won’t your tender ears be sore!
Kiss goodbye your pretty feathers!
Kiss goodbye hats for preening! Kiss goodbye fancy hairdos!
Kiss goodbye your delicate refinement!

Repeat Refrain:

Cherubino’ll be victorious!
Glory to the man of war!
Cherubino on to victory!
Glory to the man of war! (3X)

Refrain: Nevermore, butterfly, little lovebird
Will you flit, not a bit, ‘round the castle

Second Refrain: You’re disturbing the sleep of the girls, sir!
Sweet Adonis, Narcissus of love.
Repeat Second Refrain

You can kiss all your plumage goodbye now
And your cute little hat’s no
requirement
Your pretty hairdo, your delicate refinement
And those pink, rosy cheeks, it’s enough! (2X)