by the old moulmein pagoda looking eastward to the sea there s a burma broad a settin and i know she thinks for me for the wind is in the palm trees and the temple bells they say come you back you british soldier come you back to mandalay come you back to mandalay come you back to mandalay where the old flotilla lay can t you hear their paddles chonkin from rangoon to mandalay on the road to mandalay where the flyin fishes play and the dawn comes up like thunder out of china cross the bay ship me somewhere east of suez where the best is like the worst where there ain t no ten commandments and a cat can raise a thirst cause those crazy bells are callin and it s there that i would be by the old moulmein pagoda looking lazy at the sea looking lazy at the sea come you back to mandalay where the old flotilla lay can t you hear their paddles chonkin from rangoon to mandalay on the road to mandalay where the flyin fishes play and the dawn comes up like thunder