The Anti-Gallican's safe arriv'd,
On board of her with speed we'll hie;
She'll soon be fit to sail away -
To the Anti-gallican haste away.
(Chorus) Haste away, haste away,
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
For gold, we'll sail the ocean o'er,
From Briton's isle to the French shore;
No ships from us shall run away -
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
Those Spaniards, too, - those cunning knaves,
We'll take their ships and make them slaves;
Till war's declared we'll never stay -
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
Our country calls us all to arms,
To keep us safe from French alarms;
Then let us all her voice obey -
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
When we are rich, then home we'll steer,
And enter Shields with many a cheer,
To meet our friends so blythe and gay -
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
To Charlotte's Head, then let's repair,
We'll be received with welcome there;
We'll enter, then, without delay -
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
abc | midi | pdf
Source: Bruce and Stokoe, Northumbrian Minstrelsy, Newcastle-Upon Tyne, 1882 (reissued Llanerch)
Notes:
The music as provided has some oddities in the repetitions and Segnos. ABC notation does not seem to support the segno, two of which are provided on the music, one at the barline before the second 'haste away' and another at the end of the music. Possibly the second should be a 'DS' instead, but then there is no indication where the tune ends. However, it seems more likely from the lyrics that the segnos are not repeats at all, but simply indicate where the chorus is.
The version I know is from 'The High Level Ranters' who disregard all the repetitions, simply singing the last two lines as a chorus on every verse, as indicated.
Bruce and Stokoe wrote:
In Sykes' Local Records, under the date 1779, March 6th, appears the following record:-
"The Antigallican privateer, of Newcastle, sailed from Shields on a six months' cruise against the enemies of Great Britain, being the first that ever sailed from that port completely fitted and manned."
This song and air were popular at the time the privateer sailed, but the great expectations to which they gave utterance were in this instance doomed to disappointment, as the vessal returned at the end of her cruise without a prize of any kind to reimburse the speculators in what has been called "legalized piracy."
Roud: 3169 (Search Roud index at VWML)
Laws:
Child: