Lyr Req: Garryowen + Soldiers of the Queen

Subject: Lyrics to
From:
Date: 29 Oct 98 - 11:17 PM

I'm trying to find lyrics to the Irish ditty and song of the 7th US Cavalry "Garry Owen" and to the British war song "Soldiers of the Queen" from the Victorian era. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Bruce O.
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 12:01 AM

"Garry Owen" is somewhere on the web or in a thread here. It's from 'Harlequin Amulet', 1800.

"Old Soldiers of the Queen" is in 'Westminster Drollery', part 2, 1672 (and in Pills to Purge Melancholy, if I remember correctly). It's modeled on "The Queen's Old Courtier", which is on my website, (Scarce Songs file) with an ABC of the tune. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: Garryowen - Gerry Owen
From: Bruce O.
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 12:09 AM

"Gerry Owen" (or Garryowen) is here Click if I didn't foul up the address.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Bruce O.
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 01:00 AM

If I get ambitious I'll copy the 19 verses of "Old Soldiers of the Queen" tommorrow (Pills copy is missing a verse). Meanwhile, here are a couple early copies of Garry Owen.

X:1
T:Auld Bessy
S:Aird's 'Airs', III, 1788
Q:120
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:G
g|d2c BAG|B3B2g|d2c BAG|A3A2g|d2c BAG|B3B2c|def g3/2d/B|\
G3G2::B/c/|~d2B~d2B|~d3d2g|~e2c~e2c|e3e3g|f2g agf|g2f efg|\
defg2B|G3G2:|]

X:2
T:Garey Owen. Harlequin Amulet - or Majic of Mona [1800]
S:Wm Campbell's 16th book of Country Dances, (c 1801)
S:'by Jackson of Cork' (not 'Piper' Jackson)
Q:120
L:1/8
M:6/8
K:A dorian
g/f/|edc BAG|B3/2c/B Bgf|edc BAG|A3/2B/A Agf|\
edc BAG|B3/2c/BB2d|def g2B|A3/2B/AA2::c|\
(B/c/dB) (B/c/dB)|(B/c/dB)d2g|(c/d/ec) c/d/ec|\
(c/d/ec)e2f|g2ab2a|g3e edB|def g2B|A3/2B/AA2:|]

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 01:03 AM

Lyrics to both are in the Digital Tradition. It's a good place to start looking.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 02:00 AM

Well, here's a chance to plug American 19th century popular music: Many military posts had small bands that played quicksteps, quadrilles, polkas, schottisches, galops, waltzes,redowas (& ever popular transcriptions from whatever opera was in style) for the local community as well as for military events..

Here are some good CD's true to the period: For American Civil War: "Union and Liberty" CD (Dorian) by D.C. Hall's New Concert & Quadrille Band. (string band)

Another good string group: Hesperus

Also, check out Brass Band music such The American Brass Quintet Brass Band CD "The Yankee Brass Band",the Chestnut Brass Company & Friends CD "Listen to the Mockingbird", and finally Eastman Wind Ensemble & Chorale's CD "Homespun America"

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Rincon Roy
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 02:09 AM

hmmm, posted twice. Hit refresh key after submit button; guess that did it. Sorry...

Meanwhile, Garry Owen was a real person apparently; anyone know anything about him?

This tune is still popular! I know because we always get requests to play it again whenever we drag it out.

Subject: ADD: Sean South of Garryowen
From: AndreasW
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 07:56 AM

Garryowen seems to be a place as well,
I know of a song called Sean South of Garryowen,
now let me look for the lyrics...
some time later...
found it:

Sean South of Garryowen

'Twas on a dreary New Year's day as the shades of night came down
A lorry load of volunteers approached a border town
There were men from Dublin and from Cork, Fermanagh and Tyrone
But the leader was a Limerick man, Sean South of Garryowen.

And as they moved along the street up to the barracks door
The scorned the danger they might meet, the fate that lay in store
They were fighting for old Ireland, to claim their very own
And the foremost of that gallant band was Sean South of Garryowen.

But the sergeant spoiled their daring plan, he spied them through the door
With the sten guns and the rifles too, a hail of death did pour
And when that awful night was o'er two men lay as cold as stone
There was one from near the border and one from Garryowen.

No more he will hear the seagulls cry, or the murmuring Shannon tide
For he fell beneath a northern sky, O'Hanlon by his side
They have gone to join that gallant band of Plunkett, Pierce and Tone
Another martyr for old Ireland, was Sean South of Garryowen.

cu, Andreas

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: rich r
Date: 30 Oct 98 - 01:46 PM

Garryowen is also the name of a small town in Montana along the Little Bighorn River a few miles from the site of General Custer's debacle.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Barry Finn
Date: 31 Oct 98 - 12:53 PM

Sean South & Feargal O'Hanlon were both killed New Years Eve (12/31/57) during a raid in Northern Ireland. "O my name is O'Hanlon" (Patriots Game" by Dom. Behan). Barry

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From:
Date: 01 Nov 98 - 04:45 PM

Thanks for all the great and very helpful posts. I'm squared away on Garry Owen now. I still have a question about the song "Soldiers of the Queen." The one I'm referring to is NOT the 17th century song "Old Soldiers of the Queen" that is available on the site here. The song I'm talking about is Victorian era, probably mid-to-late 19th century in origin. I heard this song while watching the movie "Zulu." Perhaps the song was created for the movie, but since the movie was historically accurate almost to a fault, and the soldiers in the film were the ones singing it, I don't think so. It also seems to me I've heard the song elsewhere, though for the life of me I can't remember where. Thanks again for all the help so far, and for any help you can give me on this deal.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Jack Hickman
Date: 01 Nov 98 - 11:51 PM

Regarding Soldiers of the Queen, was that not a Gilbert and Sullivan creation from one of their operettas? I'm not sure which one. The other possibility is that it came from Rudyard Kipling.

Garryowen is a place name from Ireland. It maybe another name for County Limerick, or a region thereof.

Jack Hickman

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 02 Nov 98 - 12:02 AM

Here's a strong Kipling possibility for your song: "The Young British Soldier": 1st verse and chorus: "When the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East/'E acts like a babe ab' 'e drinks like a beast,/An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased/Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier/Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,/(x3)/So-oldier of the Queen!". It's in Deapartmental Ditties: Barrack-Room ballads and Other Verses, a million eds. but mine is Doubleday, Page & Co., garden City, NY, 1927. It sprung to mind because there's a c.1900 parody of it in BC called "The Half-Baked remittance Man". Jon

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: GUEST,John Rogers
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 11:37 AM

"Soldiers of the Queen", a Victorian song, was played as the credits rolled by in the movie, Breaker Morant. There's lots about Breaker Morant on the WEB, but info on this song is hard to come by. If anyone has access to the words, please post them.

Subject: Add: Soldiers of the Queen ^^
From: Snuffy
Date: 06 Aug 00 - 07:53 PM

I've always had the impression that Soldiers of the Queen dated from late Victorian times, and was a big hit at the time of the Boer War (1899-1902?), which ties in to Breaker Morant. But Rorke's Drift (Zulu) was earlier than that.

Anyway, I've known the tune since childhood, and it's still part of the British military brass band repertoire - always played when the Queen is reviewing her soldiers (Trooping of the Colour, etc). Many regimental bands have CD's available, and it's sure to be on several of these.

The words are a problem to me though - here's what I remember. Can anybody fill in the blanks?

It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads
It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
----------------------
And when they -----------
And when they ask us what we've done
We will proudly point to every one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen

MIDI file: SOLQUEEN.MID

Timebase: 480

Tempo: 120 (500000 microsec/crotchet)
Key: G
TimeSig: 4/4 48 8
Name: Soldiers of the Queen
Start
0000 1 62 127 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 57 127 0719 0 57 000 0001 1 55 090 0239 0 55 000 0001 1 50 090 0479 0 50 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 66 090 0319 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0159 0 64 000 0001 1 66 127 1439 0 66 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 60 090 0239 0 60 000 0001 1 54 090 0479 0 54 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 57 127 0719 0 57 000 0001 1 55 090 0239 0 55 000 0001 1 50 090 0479 0 50 000 0001 1 62 090 0319 0 62 000 0001 1 62 090 0159 0 62 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 59 090 0479 0 59 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 61 090 0239 0 61 000 0001 1 60 090 0319 0 60 000 0001 1 59 090 0159 0 59 000 0001 1 57 090 0319 0 57 000 0001 1 59 090 0159 0 59 000 0001 1 60 127 0479 0 60 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 64 090 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 67 127 1439 0 67 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X: 1
T:Soldiers of the Queen
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:120
K:G
d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 e2 |d3 c F2 B2 |A3G D2d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 d>e|f2f2 f>ed>e|f6 d2 |
g2f2 e2B2|d3c F2 e2 |d3 c F2 B2 |A3G D2d>d|
g2f2 e2B2|d3^c =c>BA>B|c2d2 e2 f2 |g6 ||


Wassail! V
^^

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Micca
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 08:51 AM

Garryowen is a district in Limerick, Ireland for which also a rugby term for kicking a ball high and running forward onto itwas named ,hopefully splitting the defence. The song "soldiers of the queen"( there are at least 3 songs , 1 gilbert and Sullivan from Patience, one earlier mentioned above and this) was, I think, written by Leslie Stuart, but no luck with a set of lyrics yet.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: AndyG
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 09:25 AM

Britons always loyally declaim
Of how Brittania rules the waves
Every Briton's song is just the same
When singing of our soldiers brave
All the world has heard it
Wonders why we sing
And some have learned the reason why
We're not forgetting it
We're not letting it
Fade away and gradually die

Fade away and gradually die.

So when we say Old England's master
Remember who has made her so,

It's the Soldiers of the Queen, my lads!
Who've been, my lads!
Who've seen, my lads!
In the fight for Englands glory lads
Of her world-wide Glory let us sing

And when the ask us (how we won ?)
And when they ask us how it's done
We proudly point to every one
of Britains Soldiers of the Queen

there are more verses than the one above but I can't remember them.

AndyG

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:21 PM

Andy G's song can be found on the Bodley Ballads website (Mudcat's Links) by Search on keyword 'declaim'.

Subject: ADD: Soldiers of the Queen ^^
From: The Walrus
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:22 PM

Soldiers of the Queen

Britons always loyally declaim, about the way we rule the waves.
Every Briton's song is just the same, when singing of our soldiers brave
All the world has heard it, wonders why we sing, and some have learned the reason why.
We're not forgetting it, we're not letting it
Fade away or gradually die; fade away or gradually die.
So when we say that England's master, remember who has made her so.

It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads,
In the fight for England's glory, lads,
Of its world wide glory let us sing.
And when we say we ve always won,
And when they ask us how it's done,
We'll proudly point to every one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen.

War clouds gather over every land, our treaties threatened east and west.
Nations that we've shaken by the hand, our honoured pledges try to test.
They may have thought us sleeping, thought us unprepared, because we have our party wars.
But Britons all unite, when they're called to fight
The battle for old England's cause; the battle for old England's cause.
So when we say that England's master, remember who has made her so. It's the soldiers of the Queen, etc,

When we're roused we buckle on our swords, we've done with diplomatic lingo.
We do deeds to follow our words, we show we're something more than jingo
The sons of merry England answered duty's call, and military duties do,
And though new at the game, they show them all the same,
An Englishman can be a soldier too; an Englishman can be a soldier too.
So when we say that England's master, remember who has made her so. It's the soldiers of the Queen, etc.

Good luck.

Walrus
^^

Subject: Lyr Add: GARRYOWEN
From: The Walrus
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:43 PM

Garryowen


Let Bacchus' sons be not dismayed,
But join with me each jovial blade,
Come, booze and sing and lend me aid,
To help me with the chorus.

Instead of spa we'll drink down ale,
And pay the reckoning on the nail,
For debt no man shall go to jail,
From Garryowen in glory.

We are the boys who take delight in
Smashing the Limerick lamps when lighting
Through the streets like sporters fighting,
And tearing all before us.

Instead of spa we'll drink down ale, etc.

We'll break windows, we'll break doors,
The watch knock down by threes and fours,
Then let the doctors work their cures,
And tinker up our bruises.

Instead of spa we'll drink down ale, etc.

We'll beat the bailiffs Out of fun,
We'll make the mayors and sheriffs run,
We are the boys no man dare dun,
If he regards a whole skin.

Instead of spa we'll drink down ale, etc.

Our hearts so stout have got us fame,
For soon 'tis known from whence we came,
Where'er we go they dread the name,
Of Garryowen in glory.

Instead of spa we'll drink down ale, etc.

The text for this and Soldiers of the Queen are taken from "Songs and Music of the Redcoats" by Lewis Winstock (Leo Cooper Ltd, London 1970 - ISBN 0 85052-003-7)

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 07:12 PM

Funny, I don't remember "Soldier's of the Queen" from the movie "Zulu" I rather remember the beleagured British singing "Men of Harlech" to quote the Sergeant Major in the movie "Sing you bastards! You're soldiers of the queen so sing, damn your eyes!" or words close to that. Garryowen is indeed a district in Ireland and the tune was originally the marching tune of the British army's 5th Irish Lancers. The legend is that a lancer wrote the tune. Any other info on the veracity of this? Kindest reguards, Neil

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 07:48 PM

'Soldiers of the Queen' is a belter of a song - pity about the sentiments. There was a version on a beaut Argo LP of years ago: Martyn Wyndham-Read, The Druids, Gerry Fox and The Band of The Scots Guards 'Songs and Music of the Redcoats (1642-1902)' Argo ZDA 147. The note thereon read: 'Although the florid phrases of this South African War song make us wince, veterans of the War swear to its great popularity from 1899-1902'. This version was almost identical to the words and line structure as posted by AndyG. It does not have the other stanzas posted by Walrus, but they were possibly omitted for reasons of space on the record.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: NH Dave
Date: 08 Aug 00 - 12:03 AM

Having recently seen Zulu, I believe that "Soldiers of the Queen" was neither mentioned nor sung. It was both sung and played in the film, Breaker Morant; sung by the actor who played Morant, and played by a local town or Army band, towards the end of the film, if memory serves. I thought that there was the suggestion that Morant had written the words to the song.

Dave

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: Gervase
Date: 08 Aug 00 - 05:52 AM

The actor who played Morant was none other than Edward Woodward - probably best known in the US for playing a middle-aged vigilante type, but a darned good actor and not a bad singer too. In the UK he's probably best remembered for Callan (Shite, showing my age here) and for playing the God-fearing copper in the Wicker Man.
He did a number of recordings of 19th century soldiers' songs - including Soldiers of the Queen - for the National Army Museum in Chelsea a few years back, but I don't know if they were ever issued for sale.

Subject: RE: Lyrics to
From: richardw
Date: 29 Jan 01 - 07:54 PM

The song in Zulu is Men of Harlech, a Welsh tune sung by the Welsh soldiers at Rorke's Drift.

Richard Wright