Oisín- The Rambling Soldier

Oisín- Béaloideas, 1980

[@beirbuadh]

I see this song at the moment has 1,781 viewings. I'd say I viewed it the 781 times. I love singing this, with a few drinks on me, over and over again. I'm back in time. God love my wife and neighbours. Thanks again from the Wicklow mountains.

[@chopsandarchie7015]

Richard Holmes's book "Red Coats" is brilliant. The book is so easy to read and enjoy and gives the history of the men who were the red coats and what a bunch they were. Also, see Hogarth's painting "The Guards March to Finchley" in Wikipedia; it is funny.

[@MichaelCollins1922]

Stephne Brunell's "Redcoat" is great too. It focuses more on the British soldier during the Seven Year's War. :)

[@maddg7471]

Amazing. Just like the old days.

[@guyhardwick7339]

Okay, this is a classic and I’m old so I can say you kids nailed it!

[@dustykeleher]

twenty years ago i had this album in my possession. I bought it in vancouver at a record store on 4th. Zulu records possibly. I left vancouver leaving it behind with some roommates. 20 years later through the horrible yet lovely magic of social media, i reconnected with the old roommate and he sent me my copy of the record. I love this song

[@owlsflyingaway]

Listening to this while studying Napoleonic history greatly increases my appetite for learning

[@MonkeyVideoWonders]

This is by far the best version of this folk classic. Period, end of story.

[@wolfreplays88]

Great song

[@OrlopRat42]

It's a detail from "March of the Guards to Finchley", painted by William Hogarth in 1750. I scanned it from a print I have hanging on my wall, but if you google it you'll find a lot of images.

[@DukeOfAlbion]

Ah, what a marvellous upload! I uploaded John Tams' version of the tune last year, thinking it was the only version available, but this version is much better I think. Many thanks!

[@MacFeeley]

Very good. thank you for posting!

[@beirbuadh]

I'm Irish. And the idea of singing an English soldier's song to me feels very odd - even traitorous. But I must admit, this is a marvelous folk song. When you look at history, we should take the modern idealogy and politics out of it, and look at what joe soap had to go through. The lad who took the shilling because his family was starving, and on the other side -the defender of his patch - trying to save HIS hungry family. English folk music is excellent, and very much underplayed.

[@agentsmith4763]

beirbuadh we’re have a lot and common too, the brits and irish.

[@jamesmurdoch9805]

You don't know your history then... of those grand ould Irish regiments.. Connaught Rangers, Munsters, Leinsters, Dublin Fusiliers, Royal Irish......

[@jamescarroll9022]

I feel the same, but it is important to remember the many hundreds of thousands of Irishmen who have fought in foreign armies for the past centuries. At the Battle of Waterloo, no less than one-third of the British army consisted of Irishmen, including Wellington.

[@squidontheside5496]

@@jamescarroll9022 I'm french and I love british and german songs xd. My ancestor should find this weird as well

[@el_iron_duke]

@@squidontheside5496 I'm Indian. My ancestors should feel weird too XD

[@billgruneschwert4712]

The music of my people

[@OrlopRat42]

Very well said. My thoughts exactly. I like the fact that this is an English song, performed by an Irish band.
Thank you for your comment.

[@harryflashman3451]

Probably sung by many an Irishman over the years

[@spaxspore]

crank it up!!!!

[@Conradical247]

Thanks man.

[@MrImpossibroGaming]

Dm C
I am a soldier bright and brave
C Dm
And I'm rambling for a promotion
Dm C
I laid the French and the Spanish low
C Dm
Many miles across the ocean
Dm
I've been to England and Ireland too
C
And I've been to bonnie Scotland too
Dm C
And many's the pretty maid I've cause for to woo
C Dm
I'm a bold and a rambling soldier
When I was young and in my prime
In the years while I went recruiting
To England, Ireland, France and Spain
Where'er there was no shooting
With a lady gay and a pleasant life
In every town, a different wife
Seldom was there any strife
For the bold and the rambling soldier
In Aldershot I courted by day
A daughter and her mother
And all the time that I was there
They were jealous of eachother
My orders came and I had to part
I left poor Jane with a broken heart
From aldershot I soon did part
I'm a bold and a rambling soldier
Well now the King has commanded me
To raise the country over
From Aldershot to Patrick town
And from Plymouth and back to Dover
Whatsoever town that I went
To court the damsels was my bent
To marry none was my intent
I'm a bold and a rambling soldier
Now the war is about to end
And I'm not afraid to mention
The King has given me my discharge
And he's granted me a pension
No doubt some lass will me claim
But none of them can tell my name
And if you want to know the same
It's Jack the rambling soldier
I am a soldier bright and brave
And I'm not afraid to mention
I laid the French and the Spanish low
Many miles across the ocean.
No doubt some lass will me claim
But none of you can tell my name
And if you want to know the same
It's Jack the rambling soldier

[@frederikmortensen6321]

A border prince brought me here

[@macintyre83]

The irish were, and are, one of the best fighters in the British army, next to the Scots.

[@leifewald5117]

Sharpes brought me here

[@philp7884]

Damn..makes me want to fight something!

[@OrlopRat42]

@MonkeyVideoWonders Indeed.

[@Conradical247]

Great! Do you have the source for the painting?

[@chopsandarchie7015]

It is Hogarth's "The Guards March to Finchley"; see wikipedia mate. cheers

[@Conradical247]

@@chopsandarchie7015 Thanks, never thought I'd see some reply to a 9 year old comment!

[@chopsandarchie7015]

@@Conradical247 You are welcome mate. If fancy it, lease give "Red Coats" by Richard Holmes a read. It is dead readable and very well written and researched. Cheers

[@AB0VETHALAW]

Anyone got the whistle tab at the beginning please?

[@poeticider]

It is key of D. Should be pretty easy to play by ear ;)