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Rogue’s March
[ Roud - ; DT ROGUEMAR ; Mudcat 24359 , 33249 ; trad.]
Inglis Gundry: Canow Kernow Roy Palmer: The Valiant Sailor
The Druids and musicians from the Band of the Scots Guards sang and played The Rogues’ March in 1972 on Martyn Wyndham-Read et al’s Argo album Songs and Music of the Redcoats. This album was inspired by Lewis Winstock’s 1970 book of the same title, Songs and Music of the Redcoats 1642-1902, a history of the war music of the British Army. The albums’s sleeve noted commented:
The first reference to this march dates from 1727. It was played when men who had benn dishonourably discharged were drummed out of the Army.
Paul Witty of fiddle and Mike Breese played British Grenadiers and The Rogues March in 1979 on Roy Harris’s Fellside album of life in the army’s lower ranks 1750-1900 through soldiers’ songs, The Rambling Soldier, that was published as a companion to Roy Palmer’s 1977 book of the same title.
The Bushwackers Band played The Kangaroo Hop: Rogue’s March / Skippy in 1980 on their Australian Dance Album.
Umps and Dumps played a set of Rogue’s March and Dashing White Sergeant in 1980 on their Topic album The Moon’s in a Fit. John Kirkpatrick noted:
Rogue’s March was the tune used by the British Army when men were ‘drummed out of the regiment’ (dishonourably discharged). The words are from Lewis Winstock’s Songs and Music of the Redcoats.
John Tams and Barry Coope sang Rogue’s March on the 1996 album of the music of the historical fiction stories Sharpe, Over the Hills and Far Away.
The New Scorpion Band played a set of The Grenadier’s March 1776 and The Rogue’s March in 2000 on their album of songs and music of the Napoleonic wars, The Plains of Waterloo.
Random played a set of Rogue’s March, Ali Mckenzie’s and The Hogmanay in 2003 on ther WildGoose album Deviation.
Kerfuffle sang The Rogue’s March in 2008 on their RootBeat album To the Ground. They noted:
An 18th Century song, the tune of which was played as miscreants were drummed out of the army.
Coope Boyes & Simpson sang Rogues’ March in 2014 on their No Masters double CD In Flanders Fields. They noted:
The cashiering tune of the British Army, used when drumming out dishonoured soldiers. The words are traditional.
Pete Coe used phrases of The Rogue’s March in his version of Jack Hall on his 2017 CD The Man in the Red Van.
Lyrics
The Druids sing The Rogues’ March
Fifty I got for selling me coat
Fifty for selling me blankets
If ever I ’list for a soldier again
The devil shall be me sergeant.
Chorus:
Poor old soldier, poor old soldier
If ever I ’list for a soldier again
The devil shall be me sergeant.
Kerfuffle sing The Rogue’s March
I left my home and I left my job
Went and joined the army
If I knew then what I know now
I wouldn’t have been so barmy.
Chorus (repeat the verse’s last two stanzas):
Poor old soldier, poor old soldier
If I knew then what I know now
I wouldn’t have been so barmy.
Sent me off on a real old boat
By Christ she was no beauty
Far across the sea we went
For to do my duty.
Fought the Russians, or was it the French
Really couldn’t tell, sir
All I know is they fought so hard
They sent us all to hell, sir.
When we got back home again
To desert was my intent, sir
I sold my cot and I sold my coat
And over the wall I went, sir.
Went to a tavern and I got drunk
That is where they found me
Back to barracks in chains I was sent
And there they did impound me.
Fifty I got for selling me coat
Fifty for me blankets
If ever I’list for a soldier again
The devil shall be me sergeant.