There’s a man[1] whose feat’s a life of danger.
He must be as discreet as the Lone Ranger.
He has to move and take out a bad guy; his mates:
Odd “army” bloke[2] and gal from “Steps” borrowed.[3]

Secret agent man,
Secret agent plan,
They faked his death and dubbed him
With a fictitious name.

He’s got a pretty dame to play his wife;
Then the “general” screws up—takes the wrong man’s life.
Agent plans to quit the fray,
But he can’t stay away.
Off he goes to cause the bad guy sorrow.

Secret agent man,
Secret agent lams—
His “missus” had just snubbed him. . .
With bad guy, on a train.

All meet on the chemin de fer, but they
Are all victims of a bombed train; what’s the next play?
Well, first the general is eclipsed
By a missile from a clip;
The bad guy doesn’t live to see tomorrow.

Secret agent man,
Secret agent banns:
He’s Hitched then to his lover,
Won’t play more agent games.


[1]John Gielgud as Edgar Brodie/Ashenden
[2]Peter Lorre as “The General” (Abbott in the 1934 “The Man Who Knew Too Much”)
[3]Madeleine Carroll as Elsa (Carroll appeared in “The 39 Steps” the previous year)