Boots (poem) Boots (poem) "Boots" is a poem by English author and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). It was first published in 1903, in his collection "The Five Nations". "Boots" imagines the repetitive thoughts of a British Army infantryman marching by forced marches in South Africa during the Second Boer War (which had ended in 1902). It has been said that if the first four words in each line are read at the rate of two words to the second, that gives the time to which the British foot soldier was accustomed to march. The poem was set to music for low male
Deadlier Than the Male (song) "The female of the species must be deadlier than the male", and also refers to Sapper's earlier Drummond book "The Female of the Species". "Deadlier Than the Male" was a minor hit spending six weeks on the UK Singles Chart and peaking at #32. The single was released concurrently that December with the EP "Solo John/Solo Scott". The low sales of the single may have been hit by the label's strategy of releasing them both at once. The single is essentially a Scott Walker solo release as he sang lead vocals and wrote/co-wrote both tracks. Previously Scott had only contributed