Old thread, but an explanation may be helpful to those who come searching and revive the dead.

This is a back-and-forth song, with republican women mocking 'separation women' (women married to soldiers in the British Army, who were commonly thought of as having joined for the 'separation money', a pension paid to their families).

'Slackers' was the mocking nickname given by unionists to men who would not join up.

So verse 1: the kid with the foxy head - the republican woman is mocking the idea that the husband is away, and a child of suspicious provenance has been born to his wife. A fine insult, as it manages to insult both the gulled soldier and the wife of dubious morals.

Verse 2: when the war is over, what will the slackers do? The separation woman is mocking the republicans with the fact that they'll still be poor after the war, and will be sucking up to the soldiers for a loan of their pension.

Verse 3: when the war is over, what will the soldiers do? The republican woman comes back with the riposte that he may have money but will be crippled by war injuries.

Verse 4: they've taxed the pound of butter and they've taxed the ha'penny bun, and still with all their taxing they can't beat the bloody hun. Yes, Frau Merkel.

Verse 5: ...why don't they tax the bobbies. The eternal plaint of the PAYE worker against the privilege of public servants.

Verse 6: when the war is over, what will the slackers do, for every kid in America, in Cork there will be two. Ah, those fertile slackers at it again, more foxy heads. Or maybe this time it's the soldiers being fertile, not sure.

Verse 7: They takes us out to Blarney. Yes, that's what soldiers do.

Verse 8: Lino in the parlour. How sweet it is to have a soldier's pension and be able to buy linoleum. Classic mockery of the petty bourgeois ambitions of Sgt Bucket's wife. Dickie Drew being the pawnshop owner.

Verse 9: Sinn Fein boy in his yellow, white and green. Triumph for the republican side. Yoohoo!