Went on a fabulous weekend course with Maddy Prior and Peggy Seeger, and one of the songs we covered was The Recruited Collier. I have loved this for years, but never felt able to sing it, because it is so clearly a woman's song. So, with Peggy's encouragement I have rewritten it from the recruits POV. I see there is already a song in the archives called the Recruited Collier's Lament, but it uses a different tune. Mine uses the original tune.

The Recruited Collier's Tale - Bob Ebdon

So what's the matter with you me lad?
Do you miss your darlin Jenny?
You're in King George's army now,
You took his silver penny.
I did, but I was five pints drunk,
Took that to make me willing
And when I awoke, you held me fast
He won't take back his shilling.

So I put on me white cockade
And coat, to show my lover
Such crying I had never heard
From Jenny and her mother
Her dad called me a bloody fool
And went to fetch some money
But the sergeant swore I'd kissed the book
So there's no saving of me.

I'm marching off to Boney's war
In a distant land called Spain
But I know my Jenny will be here
When I come home again.
They've said I'll be a grenadier
Because I'm big and strong
The first one into every breach
I'll be home before long

At least I'll see the sky all day
Instead of blackest coal
Though if there's mining to be done
They'll send me down the hole
I hewed the coals that Jenny burns
So in some foreign dawn
I'll think of her and know that I
Will still be keeping her warm.

My heart is broke, but I'll go on
Although I'm cold and weary
I'll not die in some Spanish field
I'll get home to my dearie.