Well, the bonny bunch of roses was the term used by Napoleon himself when refering to the British Isles. Marines or 'Johnnie' would have, I think, worn blue and not red. But I am still of the firm belief that I am making it all up. Or did I hear it somewhere... :-)

I also heard it was a whaling song btw - The blood red roses being the 'roses' of blood floating on the water following a sucessful harpoon strike. But that was sung by Sting on an album got together after the last Pirates of the Caribean by Johnny Depp!

Cheers

Dave