Reportedly, it was first collected around 1840 in Limerick by Patrick Weston Joyce; also in Donegal by George Petrie.[1] The roots of this song, however, likely link back to the 17th century, given Ireland's involvement in the Glorious Revolution (1688), the Nine Years War(1688-97), and especially the Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691), since the song refers to being "sent to France," which suggests the Flight of the Wild Geese: the departure of the Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on 3 October 1691.
In the song, the narrator and his cousin, Arthur McBride were taking a walk when they were approached by three British military recruiters, a recruiting sergeant, a Corporal and a young drummer. The recruiters attempt to induce the narrator and Arthur McBride into military service, extolling the virtues of serving the King, having money to spend, and wearing nice clothes. Arthur McBride tells the recruiter, if they joined, the clothes would merely be loaned to them and that they would be made to go to war in France where they would certainly be killed. The recruiter, taking offence at Arthur's disrespect of the offer, becomes angry at Arthur and the narrator, and threatens to use his sword on them. Then, Arthur and the narrator use their shillelaghs to hit the recruiters and the drummer over their heads, and after doing so, take their pouch of money, and throw their swords and the drummer's drum into the ocean.
"Arthur MacBride" has been recorded by numerous performers, including Planxty (on their 1973 self-titled debut album, Planxty); Andy Irvine; Dave Swarbrick; Martin Carthy; Paul Brady; a US-based band, Ourselves Alone, and in his later years (1992), by Bob Dylan. Most contemporary performers who have "Arthur McBride" in their repertoires were inspired by and acquired it via Irish and UK sources. While Planxty's 1973 release may be thought of as the vector renewing the song's present-day familiarity, Paul Brady's 1977 rendition is of special interest due to significant lyrical variations from the "usual" versions of the tune, including several additional verses. Brady is from Strabane in County Tyrone but, ironically, he hadn’t heard the song while living in Ireland.[2] He came across it while working in America in 1972. He was given a copy of book called, A Heritage of Songs, compiled by collector Carrie Grover. One of the songs listed was Arthur McBride. Brady started to perform it to a virtuoso guitar accompaniment using an open G tuning. Brady's eight verse version of the song contains the Irish word spalpeen meaning layabout, rascal or ruffian.
Arthur McBride
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As we went a-walkin' down by the seaside
Now mark what followed and what did betide
For it bein' on Christmas mornin'
Now, for recreation, we went on a tramp
And we met sergeant Napper and corporal Vamp
And a little wee drummer intending to camp
For the day bein' pleasant and charmin'
"Good morning, good morning," the sergeant he cried
"And the same to you, gentlemen," we did reply
Intending no harm but meant to pass by
For it bein' on Christmas mornin'
"But," says he, "My fine fellows, if you will enlist
Ten guineas in gold I'll stick to your fist
And a crown in the bargain for to kick up the dust
And drink the king's health in the morning
"For a soldier, he leads a very fine life
And he always is blessed with a charming young wife
And he pays all his debts without sorrow or strife
And he always lives pleasant and charmin'
And a soldier, he always is decent and clean
In the finest of clothing he's constantly seen
While other poor fellows go dirty and mean
And sup on thin gruel in the morning"
"But," says Arthur, "I wouldn't be proud of your clothes
For you've only the lend of them, as I suppose
But you dare not change them one night, for you know
If you do, you'll be flogged in the morning
And although that we're single and free
We take great delight in our own company
We have no desire strange places to see
Although that your offers are charming
"And we have no desire to take your advance
All hazards and dangers we barter on chance
For you'd have no scruples for to send us to France
Where we would get shot without warning"
"Oh no," says the sergeant, "I'll have no such chat
And neither will I take it from snappy young brats
For if you insult me with one other word
I'll cut off your heads in the morning"
And Arthur and I, we soon drew our hogs
We scarce gave them time to draw their own blades
When a trusty shillelagh came over their head
And bid them take that as fair warning
And their old rusty rapiers that hung by their sides
We flung them as far as we could in the tide
"Now take them up, devils!" cried Arthur McBride
"And temper their edge in the mornin'!"
And the little wee drummer, we flattened his bow
And we made a football of his rowdy-dow-dow
Threw it in the tide for to rock and to roll
And bade it a tedious returning
And we havin' no money, paid them off in cracks
We paid no respect to their two bloody backs
And we lathered them there like a pair of wet sacks
And left them for dead in the morning
And so, to conclude and to finish disputes
We obligingly asked if they wanted recruits
For we were the lads who would give them hard clouts
And bid them look sharp in the mornin'
Oh, me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride
As we went a-walkin' down by the seaside
Now mark what followed and what did betide
For it bein' on Christmas mornin'
The song “Arthur McBride” by Bob Dylan is a traditional Irish folk song that tells the story of two men (the singer and his cousin Arthur) who encounter two British soldiers (sergeant Napper and corporal Vamp) and a drummer who are attempting to recruit them into the military on Christmas morning. The two men try to politely decline the offer, but the sergeant persists, singing the praises of a soldier’s life, which causes Arthur to reject him outright. The group engages in a physical altercation, with the singer and Arthur using their shillelaghs to knock out the soldiers and toss their swords into the ocean.
The song is believed to be a commentary on the British practice of impressment, where they would forcefully recruit civilians into their army. The singer and Arthur reject the offer because they don’t want to fight in France without proper motivation or compensation, and because they’re not interested in the patriotic aspects of being a soldier. The lyrics also touch on themes of class differences (the soldiers are noted to be better dressed and treated better than other working-class people) and Irish resentment towards British authority. The song has been covered by several artists and has become a staple of Irish music.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride
The singer and his cousin, Arthur McBride, are walking by the seaside on Christmas morning.
Now mark what followed and what did betide
For it bein' on Christmas mornin'
The singer hints at something significant happening on this Christmas morning.
Now, for recreation, we went on a tramp
And we met sergeant Napper and corporal Vamp
And a little wee drummer intending to camp
For the day bein' pleasant and charmin'
The singer and Arthur encounter a group of soldiers (Sergeant Napper, Corporal Vamp, and a drummer) while out walking for leisure.
"Good morning, good morning," the sergeant he cried
"And the same to you, gentlemen," we did reply
Intending no harm but meant to pass by
For it bein' on Christmas mornin'
The soldiers greet the artist and Arthur politely, but they have no intention of joining their ranks.
"But," says he, "My fine fellows, if you will enlist
Ten guineas in gold I'll stick to your fist
And a crown in the bargain for to kick up the dust
And drink the king's health in the morning
The sergeant tries to persuade the artist and Arthur to join the army by offering them money and a good time.
"For a soldier, he leads a very fine life
And he always is blessed with a charming young wife
And he pays all his debts without sorrow or strife
And he always lives pleasant and charmin'
And a soldier, he always is decent and clean
In the finest of clothing he's constantly seen
While other poor fellows go dirty and mean
And sup on thin gruel in the morning"
The sergeant glorifies life as a soldier by describing its comforts and advantages.
"But," says Arthur, "I wouldn't be proud of your clothes
For you've only the lend of them, as I suppose
But you dare not change them one night, for you know
If you do, you'll be flogged in the morning
Arthur challenges the sergeant's claim about soldiers' clothing, implying that it is on loan and subject to strict military rules.
"And although that we're single and free
We take great delight in our own company
We have no desire strange places to see
Although that your offers are charming
The artist and Arthur prefer to remain independent and enjoy their own company, rejecting the sergeant's offer to see new places.
"And we have no desire to take your advance
All hazards and dangers we barter on chance
For you'd have no scruples for to send us to France
Where we would get shot without warning"
The artist and Arthur do not want to risk their lives by joining the army and being sent to dangerous places like France without warning.
"Oh no," says the sergeant, "I'll have no such chat
And neither will I take it from snappy young brats
For if you insult me with one other word
I'll cut off your heads in the morning"
The sergeant threatens the artist and Arthur with violence for refusing to join the army and implying that they are disrespectful.
And Arthur and I, we soon drew our hogs
We scarce gave them time to draw their own blades
When a trusty shillelagh came over their head
And bid them take that as fair warning
Arthur and the singer defend themselves against the soldiers with no hesitation, using their walking sticks and striking first.
And their old rusty rapiers that hung by their sides
We flung them as far as we could in the tide
"Now take them up, devils!" cried Arthur McBride
"And temper their edge in the mornin'!"
Arthur and the artist disarm the soldiers and throw their swords away in the water, mocking them for their incompetence.
And the little wee drummer, we flattened his bow
And we made a football of his rowdy-dow-dow
Threw it in the tide for to rock and to roll
And bade it a tedious returning
The singer and Arthur also attack the drummer and take his drum, turning it into a ball and throwing it into the water as well.
And we havin' no money, paid them off in cracks
We paid no respect to their two bloody backs
And we lathered them there like a pair of wet sacks
And left them for dead in the morning
The singer and Arthur beat up the soldiers, leaving them bloody and unconscious on the ground before walking away without paying them the enlistment money offered earlier.
And so, to conclude and to finish disputes
We obligingly asked if they wanted recruits
For we were the lads who would give them hard clouts
And bid them look sharp in the mornin'
The singer and Arthur taunt the defeated soldiers by asking if they still want recruits and asserting that they would be beaten again if they appeared the next morning.
Lyrics © Public Domain
Written by: Traditional
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