The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #105491   Message #3849772
Posted By: Teribus
10-Apr-17 - 03:20 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Whiskey You're the Divil
Subject: RE: Origins: Whiskey You're the Divil
Verse one of the version we used to sing was

"Brave boys are all for marchin'
To Portugal and Spain
Down the street their banners flyin'
Devils own they'll be tonight
And Love fare the well"

Etc.

Last verse went

"Now the French are fighting boldly
Dying all too coldly
Give everyman his flask of powder
And his flintlock ower his shoulder
And Love fare thee well"

Would seem to put that in the Napoleonic era and of the time of Wellington. The reference to the "flask of powder" might seem at first anachronistic as the smoothbore muskets of this era fired premade charges made in paper cartridges, the flintlock Baker Rifles however did not, so the song in this version would indicate 95th or, more likely with the reference to America the 60th Rifles.