On the sixteenth day of June, my boys, in Flanders, where we lay,
Our bugles sounded the alarm before the break of day;
We Britons, Belgians, Brunswickers, and Hanoverians too,
All Brussels left that morning for the plains of Waterloo.

By a forces march we did advance till three in the afternoon,
Each British heart with ardour beat to pull the tyrant down;
Near Quaire-Bras we met the French, their shape to us seemed new,
For in steel armour they were clad on the plains of Waterloo.

Napolean to his men did say before that they begun,
"My heroes, if we lose the day, our nation is undone;
The Prussinas we've already beat - we'll beat the British too,
And display victorious eagles on the plains of Waterloo."



abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Kidson, Traditional Tunes, 1891

Notes:
Kidson collected this song "from a country singer in Dumfrieshire" and follows the last verse with 'etc., etc," commenting that this is "the copy most frequently met with on broadsides", and that he has instead used the space at his disposal to print "a less known copy".

Copies at � Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads appear as

The Battle of Waterloo.


Kidson states "The above version of the ballad is said to be the composition of a Sergeant Grant of the 92nd regiment, who wrote it directly after the battle." Johnson Ballads 2338 (The battle of Waterloo. A new song; see link above) includes the comment "written by two soldiers of the Highland Brigade".


Roud: 1106 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: