Origins: Napoleon's Dream

Subject: RE: Origins: Napoleon's Dream
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 16 Nov 18 - 01:56 PM

Here's my slightly rewritten version ready for publishing.

NAPOLEON’S DREAM
GG/1/5/240, Isaac Hobbs, Hampshire, 1906. (Some slight reordering and rewriting to make it scan properly.)

As Buonaparte laid on his bed he dream-ed of a dream;
A voice came down from Heaven and called him by his name,
Then Buonoparte jumped out of bed and called out all his men.
“Oh, we’ll get up all in this night and make all haste we can.

“We’ll steer a course to east or west to any foreign land,
And if we meet the British fleet we’ll sink ’em out of hand.”
The very first ship we engaged Brave Collard was her name.
We sunk her in the foamy waves despite her noted fame.

The very next ship we engaged they gave a fiery round;
“Beat up your arms, brave boys, or we shall all be drowned;
Beat up your arms, brave boys, do all you can for me,
For powder and shot it comes so hot, ’twill sink us in the sea.”

My heart is sore lamenting for old Boney’s lost his crown,
In our situation we must haul our colours down;
We are forced for to surrender for want of powder and ball,
Crying, Buonaparte lost everything and Nelson he takes all.

Subject: RE: Origins: Napoleon's Dream
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 16 Nov 18 - 05:26 AM

That's Steve's the better known one Jim.

I can't see anything about this one.

Mick

Subject: RE: Origins: Napoleon's Dream
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Nov 18 - 05:21 AM

'Mamo' Clancy (Liam Clancy's mother) sang a fuller version for the BBC in the 1950s
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Origins: Napoleon's Dream
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Nov 18 - 05:09 AM

Sam Larner had a few verses of it
Jim Carroll

Subject: Origins: Napoleon's Dream
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 15 Nov 18 - 04:37 PM

Any other versions required please. It appears to be a unique piece in the Hammond-Gardiner Collection at VWML Online. It is definitely not the better known 'A Dream of Napoleon' Roud 1538. We have given it the new number of 29548. It doesn't appear among the Napoleon ballads on the Bodleian. It is a bit garbled but possible to decipher. Here's what Isaac Hobbs sang and Gardiner noted, the first verse of 3.

My heart is sore lamenting and falling on the ground,
All in our situation all English we'll pull down,
We were forced for to surrender for the want of powder and ball
Saying Bonaparte for nothing in the honour of Nelson call.

Any info appreciated.
Thanks for looking.