(This recording is just the song’s chorus repeated twice. If you are looking for the song’s full lyrics, click here for a recording by Oscar Seagle.)
This song is a World War I marching song published in 1915 in London. It was written by Welsh songwriter George Henry Powell under the pseudonym of “...
Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag
And smile, smile, smile
While you've a lucifer to light your fag
Smile, boys, that's the style!
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile
So pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag
And smile, smile, smile
Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag
And smile, smile, smile
While you've a lucifer to light your fag
Smile, boys, that's the style!
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile
So pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag
And smile, smile, smile
Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag was written by George Henry Powell.
Florrie-forde released Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag on Fri Aug 30 1929.
“Lucifer” was a type of match that pre-dates the safety matches we have today. “Fag”, in this context, is an English slang term for a cigarette. So in plain English, the line can translate to “While you’ve a match to light your cigarette”.