Arthur McBride<br>
Arthur McBride<br>
Traditional<br>
Full song MP3<br>
(1.6 meg)<br>
Four verses MP3 (225K)<br>
Arthur McBride is sung by<br>
This song was collected around 1840 in Limerick by<br>
P.W. Joyce. He believed it to originally come from Donegal, based on the<br>
phraseology of the song. It's an anti-recruiting song similar in theme to<br>
The<br>
Kerry Recruit, Mrs. McGrath and Johnny<br>
I Hardly Knew Ya..; and there are many more. Along with "The<br>
Landlord" and "The Excise Man", the "Recruiting<br>
Sergeant" was a popular target for poetic ire, because he conscripted young<br>
Irishmen to fight on behalf of England.<br>
In the mid-eighteenth century, if an English soldier took<br>
off his uniform, the minimum penalty was twenty-five lashes with a<br>
cat-o-nine-tails, and 1500 lashes the maximum. Average pay was eightpence a<br>
day.<br>
As is characteristic of Andy Irvine, for solo performance,<br>
he's changed the time signature for this song. Originally, he and Paul Brady<br>
performed it in 3/4 time (see sheet music). For the definitive version, get<br>
ahold of the album "Andy Irvine and Paul Brady", Mulligan Records,<br>
1976 or Paul Brady's "The Liberty Tapes" released on Records, 2002<br>
sheet music<br>
I had a first cousin called Arthur McBride<br>
He and I took a stroll down by the seaside;<br>
Seeking good fortune and what might betide<br>
It was just as the day was a'dawnin'<br>
After restin' we both took a tramp<br>
We met Sergeant Harper and Corporal Cramp<br>
Besides the wee drummer who beat up the camp<br>
With his row-dee-dow-dow in the morning<br>
He says my young fellows if you will enlist<br>
A guinea you quickly will have in your fist<br>
Besides a crown for to kick up the dust<br>
And drink the King's health in the morning<br>
For a soldier he leads a very fine life<br>
He always is blessed with a charming young wife<br>
And he pays all his debts without sorrow or strife<br>
And always lives happy and charming<br>
And a soldier he always is decent and clean<br>
In the finest of garments he's constantly seen<br>
While other poor fellows go dirty and mean<br>
And sup on thin gruel in the morning<br>
Says Arthur, I wouldn't be proud of your clothes<br>
You've only the lend of them as I suppose<br>
And you dare not change them one night or you know<br>
If you do you'll be flogged in the morning<br>
And although we are single and free<br>
We take great delight in our own company<br>
And we have no desire strange countries to see<br>
Although your offer is charming<br>
And we have no desire to take your advance<br>
All hazards and danger we barter on chance<br>
and you'd have no scruples to send us to France<br>
Where we would be shot without warning<br>
And now says the sergeant, if I hear but one word<br>
I'll instantly now will out with my sword<br>
And into your bodies as strength will afford<br>
So now my gay devils take warning<br>
But Arthur and I we took the odds<br>
We gave them no chance to launch out their swords<br>
Whacking shillelaghs came over their heads<br>
And paid them right smart in the morning<br>
As for the wee drummer, we rifled his pow<br>
And made a football of his row-do-dow-dow<br>
Into the ocean to rock and to roll<br>
And bade it a tedious returnin'<br>
As for the old rapier that hung by his side<br>
We flung it as far as we could in the tide<br>
To the Devil I pitch you, says Arthur McBride<br>
To temper your steel in the morning<br>
<br>