Queen Anne commands ...

I was recently taken to task on Facebook when I quote the following:

Queen Anne commands and we obey.
O'er the hills and far away

I had made the quote in response to a photograph of the popular TV historian Lucy Worsley dressing up as Queen Anne for the third part of her recent series of ROYAL HISTORY'S BIGGEST FIBS. The person who took me to task pointed out that the words had been written by John Tams for the TV adaptation of the SHARPE stories, in which John Tams played Rifleman (later Sergeant) Daniel Hagman.

In actual fact, the tune is a traditional one, and the words that I (mis)quoted were from the version in George Farquhar's play THE RECRUITING OFFICER, which was written in 1706:

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.

What I had not realised was that John Tams had written specific verses for several of the episodes:
Chorus:

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.

For Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Mission:

Here's forty shillings on the drum
To those who volunteer to come,
To 'list and fight the foe today
Over the Hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Company:

Through smoke and fire and shot and shell,
And to the very walls of hell,
But we shall stand and we shall stay
Over the hills and far away

For Sharpe's Enemy:

Though I may travel far from Spain
A part of me shall still remain,
And you are with me night and day
and Over the hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Honour and Sharpe's Siege:

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.

For Sharpe's Gold:

When Evil stalks upon the land
I'll neither hold nor stay me hand
But fight to win a better day,
Over the hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Battle:

If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Sword:

Let kings and tyrants come and go,
I'll stand adjudged by what I know.
A soldier's life I'll ne'er gainsay.
Over the hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Challenge:

Though kings and tyrants come and go
A soldier's life is all I know
I'll live to fight another day
Over the hills and far away.

For Sharpe's Waterloo:

Old Wellington, he scratched his bum.
He says, "Boney lad, thee's had thee fun."
My riflemen will win the day
Over the hills and far away.

---

In defence of my misquoted version of the words, all I can say is that I know of a military Masonic Lodge in the UK where they sing George Farquhar's words at every after-meeting dinner, but with 'Queen Anne' added to them in place of 'The Queen'. I suspect that this has been done to avoid any confusion that the words of the song refer to our present monarch.