When I was in primary school over sixty years ago, we used to do country dancing and to sing folk songs. One that I sang back then was ‘Over the hills and far away’ … and I had forgotten the words until I heard John Tams - a renown folk singer, musician, composer, and the actor who played Daniel Hagman in the ‘Sharpe’ series - sing it as the theme tune to ‘Sharpe’. The chorus he sang was pretty well as I remembered it, but he had obviously adjusted the lyrics to suit the requirements of the series.
A few years ago I was invited to give a talk about Freemasonry in the British Army to a Masonic Lodge that had been set up for serving and ex members of the armed services. The Lodge has adopted ‘Over the hills and far away’ as the Lodge’s song, which was sung at the meal after the meeting. The lyrics were the ones I remembered from my childhood, and were as follows:
Our 'prentice Tom may now refuse
To wipe his scoundrel Master's Shoes,
For now he's free to sing and play
Over the Hills and far away.
Over the Hills and O'er the Main,
To Flanders, Portugal and Spain,
The queen commands and we'll obey
Over the Hills and far away.
We all shall lead more happy lives
By getting rid of brats and wives
That scold and brawl both night and day
–
Over the Hills and far away.
Over the Hills and O'er the Main,
To Flanders, Portugal and Spain,
The queen commands and we'll obey
Over the Hills and far away.
Courage, boys, 'tis one to ten,
But we return all gentlemen
While conquering colours we display,
Over the hills and far away.
Over the Hills and O'er the Main,
To Flanders, Portugal and Spain,
The queen commands and we'll obey
Over the Hills and far away.
Although I like the original lyrics, I actually prefer John Tams’ version, which are as follows:
Here's forty shillings on the drum
For those who volunteer to come,
To 'list and fight the foe today
Over the Hills and far away
O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away
When duty calls me I must go
To stand and face another foe
But part of me will always stray
Over the hills and far away
O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away
If I should fall to rise no more
As many comrades did before
Then ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away
O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away
Then fall in lads behind the drum
With colours blazing like the sun
Along the road to come what may
Over the hills and far away
O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away
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Given this line:
ReplyDelete"The queen commands and we'll obey
Over the Hills and far away."
I would guess that this version of the song goes back to the time of Marlborough and the 'Queen' of teh song is Queen Anne
Ian Dury,
DeleteI understand that the ‘original’ version dates from the time of the War of Spanish Succession … but may well have been adapted from an older song.
All the best,
Bob
I always loved this song. Some time ago I took to Google and YouTube to investigate this - and other "subject related" songs like The Girl I Left Behind Me - and found that there is a lot of, not always reliable, information out there plus lots of performances, including John Tams.
ReplyDeleteThere is a large Internet rabbit hole into which it's fun to venture (if you have the time).
Like you I prefer the Sharpe version, save for the second verse. I've always associated this song with the War of the Spanish Succession so for me it must be "the queen commands", and Flanders prime position then makes more sense.
Mike Hall,
DeleteI could spend hours - if not days - looking into the original of popular soldier’s songs, some of which - such as the BRITISH GRENADIER - have become regimental military marches.
As far as I can find out, the ‘original’ version of the song with these lyrics dates from the War of Spanish Succession, but may well be a much older tune with new words.
All the best,
Bob
Thanks Bob, interesting stuff. Presumably in the original 'The Queen commands' is Queen Anne, and 'Flanders, Portugal and Spain' indicates the War of the Spanish Succession as the period when the lyrics were composed?
ReplyDeleteDavid in Suffolk,
DeleteI am fairly sure that the song with these lyrics dates from the War of Spanish Succession, but the that words may have been grafted onto an older tune.
All the best,
Bob
I first encountered it in its original "civilian" form, here sung by Connie Dover. Different tune and theme, presumably rewritten by soldiers around 1700:
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/xCcJTpVlMKc
It's also a children's nursery rhyme, beginning:
Jocky was a piper's son,
He learned to play when he was young
The only tune that he could play
Was Over the Hills and Far Away
Jennifer,
DeleteThanks for the link. I intend to investigate it as soon as I can.
I also know the nursery rhyme, but the name of the boy was sung as ‘Tommy’ or had the first line ‘Tom, Tom the piper’s son’ etc.
All the best,
Bob
I loved that version as well, and the series too.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteIt’s a great song, and even someone will only a moderately good singing voice can render a good version in the bath!
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteHere's a version c.1720:
Hark now the drums beat up again
For all true soldier gentlemen
So let us list and march I say
And go over the hills and far away
Chorus:
Over the hills, and o'er the main
To Flanders, Portugal and Spain
Queen Anne commands and we'll obey
And go over the hills and far away.
2. There's twenty shillings on the drum
For him that with us freely comes
'Tis volunteers shall win the day
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
3. Come gentlemen that have a mind
To serve a queen that's good and kind
Come list and enter in to pay
And go over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
4. And we shall live more happy lives
Free of squalling brats and wives
Who nag and vex us every day
So its over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
5. Prentice Tom may well refuse
To wipe his angry master's shoes
For now he's free to run and play
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
6. No more from sound of drum retreat
When Marlborough and Galway beat
The French and Spaniards every day
Over the hills and far away.
Chorus:
Best wishes,
Arthur
Arthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteThanks for these lyrics, which I have seen with the verses in a different order and with some of them omitted.
All the best,
Bob
Would the dancing you experienced in primary school be 'Scottish Country Dancing'?
ReplyDeleteJim Duncan,
DeleteMost of it was very much English Country dancing!
All the best,
Bob
I should have expected that.
DeleteJim Duncan,
DeleteWe did do the odd reel or two … but that was about it.
All the best,
Bob
Country dancing and songs were taught at my junior school in the 60's. Not that particular song though. The Ash Grove, On yonder hill there stands a maiden being two I remember distinctly. And dancing wasn't really my thing
ReplyDeleteKhusru,
DeleteAs someone with two left feet, the country dancing I did was usually quite dire. Not my thing, either!
All the best,
Bob
I remember this from primary school in the late 60s and early 70s. The custom of folk singing (and a bit of country dancing) was still going then at my school. O’er the Hills is one of my favourites from that time, probably because of the tune and the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteI like both versions, but I find the Tam version slightly better. It has that melancholic air of a soldier’s experience, compared to what sounds like a recruiting sergeant’s claims in the earlier version. Probably like much if the folk tradition, lyrics change according to time, place and singer.
I have vague memories too of another song with similar origins that had something about being allowed two wives in the army (but not the Pogues song!)
Nundanket,
DeleteI had no idea that singing folk songs and doing country dancing was still taking place in the early1970s! I started teaching in 1973 … and must have just missed it!
Songs that are learned by singing them as a group tend to evolve over time. For example, I know someone who was adamant that second line in the chorus of RULE BRITANNIA was ‘Britons never will be slaves’ when the word ‘will’ should be ‘shall’ according to Thomas Arne.
The song about two wives might be THE GENTLEMAN SOLDIER:
It's of a gentleman soldier,
as a sentry he did stand,
He kindly saluted a fair maid
by waving of his hand.
So boldly then he kissed her,
and passed it off as a joke.
He drilled her into the sentry box,
wrapped up in a soldier's cloak.
Chorus:
For the drums did go with a rap-a-tap-tap,
And the fifes did loudly play,
Saying: 'Fare you well, my Polly dear,
I must be going away.'
Oh, all night they tossed and tumbled,
till daylight did appear.
The soldier rose, put on his clothes,
saying: 'Fare thee well, my dear,
For the drums they are a-beating,
and the fifes so sweetly play;
If it warn't for that, dear Polly,
along with you I'd stay.'
Chorus
'Now, come, you gentleman soldier,
and won't you marry me?'
'Oh, no, my dearest Polly,
such things can never be,
For married I am already,
and children I have three.
Two wives are allowed in the army,
but one's too many for me!'
Chorus
'If anyone comes a-courting you,
you treat 'em to a glass.
If anyone comes a-courting you,
you say you're a country lass.
You needn't even tell them
that ever you played this joke,
Thet ever you went in a sentry-box,
wrapped up in a soldier's cloak.'
Chorus
'It's come, my gentleman soldier,
why didn't you tell me so?
My parents will be angry
when this they come to know.'
When nine long months was up and past,
this poor girl she brought shame,
For she had a little militia boy,
and she couldn't tell his name.
All the best,
Bob
John Tam's rendition from the series sent me on dive into his other tunes and music, well worth the listen.
ReplyDeleteAnd I too prefer the Tam version.
Anthony,
DeleteJohn Tam’s has an excellent and interesting body of work to his name and his recordings are well worth adding to one’s collection.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob -
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing quite so evocative of taking oneself a long distance from the familiar as the expression 'over the hills and far away'.
Cheers
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteAs I have been away from home for a few days, it was an appropriate song to write about on my blog!
All the best,
Bob