Hi Jericho,Quote:
Originally Posted by Jericho
Thank you for your interest and for the Wikkipedia reference.
Perhaps you will allow me to explain with a short story.
Once upon a time I was a member of a male voice choir. One day several of us were in a seaside pub when one of our older members, a Welshman named Idris Marshall, got up and sang.
Over the next few years I would entertain my family and friends with my half remembered version of his song. These were the words that I sang to them.
As I was walking around Royal Barracks,
Who did I see at the top of the square,
It was one of my comrades, one of my comrades,
One of my comrades cut down in his prime
I would then apologize and say "That's all I remember".
My story would end there as I've not thought about nor sung this song for a long time, until yesterday. The song just popped into my head and I googled the first line. This is what I found.
The Trooper Cut Down in His Prime
As I was a-walkin' down by the Royal Arsenal,
Early the morning though 'warm was the day,
When who should I see but one of my comrades,
All wrapped up in flannel, and cold as the clay.
CHORUS-
Then beat the drum slowly and play your fife slowly,
And sound the dead march as you carry me along;
And fire your bundooks* right over my coffin,
For I'm a young trooper cut down in my prime.
The bugles were playin'; his mates were a-prayin',
The chaplain was kneelin' down by his bed;
His poor head was achin', his poor heart was breakin',
This poor young trooper cut down in his prime.
(CHORUS)
Get six of my comrades to carry my coffin,
Six of my comrades to carry me on high;
And six young maidens to carry white roses,
So they won't smell me as they pass me by.
(CHORUS)
Outside of the barracks you will find two girls standin',
And one to the other she whispered and said:
"Here comes the young swaddy** Whose money we squandered,
Here comes the young trooper cut down in his prime."
(CHORUS)
On the cross by his grave you will find these words written:
"All you young troopers take warnin' by me;
Keep away from them flash-girls*** who walk in the city;
Flash-girls of the city have quite ruined me."
(CHORUS)
*-bundooks - from the Hindustani banduk, a rifle or musket
**-swaddy - English slang for soldier
***-flash-girls - street girls (probably prostitutes)
(Sung by Ewan MacColl) Time: 4:26
This British soldier's variant of the "Rake" ballad is reported as
...probably the oldest of British barrack-room favorites. Old army
regulars claim that the song originated in the first expeditionary force
sent to France during World War I, but it was likewise known among
soldiers during the Boer War, as evidenced by MacColl's having heard an
almost identical version sung by a ninety-year old actor, Norman
Partridge, dating from the South African campaigns.
The trooper's death results from his consorting 'with "flash-girls", an
oblique reference to death from venereal disease, though such
disordering is not itself mentioned.
This recording may also be heard as part of an album of British soldier's
songs, entitled Bless 'Em, All (Riverside RLP 12-642), sung by Ewan
MacColl, and is reproduced here with the permission of Riverside Records.
Guitar accompaniment for this number is supplied by Peggy Seeger.
DT #350
Laws B1
AJS
Oct-99
And also this:-
The Trooper Cut Down
Tune: collected from Dorset, England.
Words: dating from the late 18th century,
considered to be the original source of such songs as
St James Infirmary Blues and "Streets of Laredo".
As I was a-walking down by the Lock Hospital
Dark was the morning and cold was the day
Who should I spy but one of my comrades
Draped in a blanket and cold as the clay.
Then beat the drums slowly and play the pipes lowly
Sound the dead march as we carry him along
And over his coffin throw handfuls of laurel
For he's a young trooper cut down in his prime.
O mother, o mother come sit you down by me
Sit you down by me and pity my plight
My body is injured and sadly disordered
All by a young woman my own heart's delight.
Had she but told me when she did disorder me
Had she but told me about it in time
I might have got salts and pills of white mercury
But now I'm cut down in the height of my prime.
Get six of my comrades to carry my coffin
Six of my comrades to carry me on high
And each of them carry a bunch of white roses
So no-one may smell me as we pass them by.
At the street corner there's two girls a-standing
One to the other she whispered and said,
"Here comes that young squaddy whose money we squandered,
Here comes a young trooper cut down in his prime."
On top of his tombstone these words they are written,
"All you young fellows take warning by me,
Keep away from them flash girls who walk in the city,
The girls of the city was the ruin of me."
I trust that you will forgive the little deception and if you ever hear "Streets of Laredo" again, you will remember my short story.
Spedius
