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The Eighteenth of June
The Eighteenth of June / Poor Boney
[ Roud 2539 ; VWML RoudFS/S143711 ; Mudcat 69252 ; trad.]
This ballad recalls Napoleon Bonaparte's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Henry Burstow of Horsham, Sussex, learnt it from Jim Shoubridge, Rifle Brigade, who had fought at Waterloo. Vaughan Williams collected the ballad from Burstow in 1905, and it was published in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 2 (issue 8, 1906) p. 193. [ VWML RoudFS/S143711 ] .
Rod Stradling recorded The Eighteenth of June at home in the early 2000s. This recording was included in 2005 on the Musical Tradition anthology Songs from the Golden Fleece. He noted in the accompanying booklet:
This splendid song comes from Henry Burstow of Horsham, Sussex, from whom Vaughan Williams collected it in 1905. It was published in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 2 (1906) p. 193. In the midst of a conversation with Martin Carthy about English Napoleonic songs, he produced it out of that prodigious memory of his … and I immediately and unashamedly stole it! It subsequently turns out that it is a song that Mike Waterson sings, and that he’d made a few alterations to it along the way. And so have I—and have yet to see a copy of the original.
Being an Englishman, I frequently feel ashamed at what my warlike country has done (is still doing!) to others around the world. So I’m delighted to find, and proud to sing, a song about our ‘greatest military victory’ which is so concerned with the plight of the ordinary people involved on both sides. It doesn’t even mention who won!
Frank Harte learned The Eighteenth of June from Rod Stradling and sang it in 2001 on his CD of traditional songs on Napoleon Bonaparte, My Name Is Napoleon Bonaparte.
Norma Waterson sang this song as Poor Boney on 2 April 2001 at Newcastle Live Theatre. This recording was included in 2004 on the Watersons' 4 CD anthology Mighty River of Song.
Martin Carthy sang The Eighteenth of June on 2 February 2006 as part of the “Folk Britannia: Which Side Are You On?” concert at the London Barbican. It was first broadcast in the UK on BBC4 on 24 February 2006:
He also sang The Eighteenth of June in the 1983 BBC production of Keith Dewhurst's "Battle of Waterloo", which was transmitted live from BBC Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham on 13 February 1983:
Mick Ryan and Pete Harris sang The Eighteenth of June in 2004 on their WildGoose CD Something to Show. They commented in their liner notes:
The Eighteenth of June, a lament for the dead of the battle of Waterloo, came from that great Irish singer, Frank Harte. It is, however, an English song. Those who know the ‘original’ will notice some changes in the words, together with a new verse.
Jim Moray sang The Eighteenth of June in 2012 on his CD Skulk. He noted:
From Henry Burstow of Horsham (1826-1916) via Martin Carthy, although Martin tells me that this version was refined and added to by Mike Waterson.
See also the similar-titled but different song The Eighteenth Day of June (Roud 1132).
Lyrics
Henry Burstow sings The Eighteenth of June | |
---|---|
You people that live at home easy, | |
From half past five in the morning, | |
You lasses whose sweethearts were yonder, | |
What a sad heart had poor Boney |
Rod Stradling sings The Eighteenth of June | Norma Waterson sings Poor Boney |
---|---|
All you people who live at home easy, |
All you people who live at home easy |
Chorus (after each verse): | |
It had started at five in the morning, |
It was just half past five in the morning |
And what a sad heart had poor Boney | |
All you young girls with sweethearts out yonder, |
All you widows and sweethearts out yonder |
So take up your sad heart, faithless Boney, |
Acknowledgements and Links
Transcribed from the singing of Norma Waterson with help from Wolfgang Hell and Steve Burton. Thank you!
Thanks to Kev Boyd of Carthy Online who gave me details about both video clips.