Son of a Jazz trumpeter Craig was introduced early to Swing music. His uncle played in a Skiffle band, his grandparents had performed in theater and vaudeville on one side and on the other were self taught musicians and folk singers.
In the early days Craig Herbertson played in experimental bands including the Scottish New Wave band 'The Androids' reviewed in NME with air play on BBC Radio 1.
Later he rediscovered his folk roots, playing with a variety of bands including 'The Keltix whose songs were featured on BBC radio and television.
Craig picked up experience busking in Europe and America, from the Paris Metro to Riverboats on the Mississippi, during which time he learned fiddle, mandolin, banjo, penny whistle and piano.
In 2004 he hit number 20 in the BBC Indie charts with 'Hearts of Glory'
In 2011 Craig was awarded second prize in the category “Best Folk Rock Singer” of the 'Deutscher Rock & Pop Preis'.
As well as music he is also a critically acclaimed fantasy and horror author.
He Who Would be King
Craig Herbertson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One for the Hessian's bold company
One for the soldier who will follow me
One for the rightful king whoever he may be
Dance lady dance
Sing soldier sing
Drink to the fortune
One for the hills of home far far away
One for the foreign field, honour and grave
One for the foreign foe for whom we pray
One for the dogs of war to keep us in pay
Dance lady dance
Sing soldier sing
Drink to the fortune
Of he who would be king
One for the lady, one for the lord
One for the musket, one for the sword
One for a bonnie prince, his promised word
None for sweet William, merciless in war
Dance lady dance
Sing soldier sing
Drink to the fortune
Of he who would be king
The opening stanza of Craig Herbertson's song "He Who Would be King" speaks to the different groups of people who are represented in the ongoing saga for power and authority. The first line refers to a wish for a sailing ship to make a safe journey across the sea, which might imply a voyage on behalf of the king or country, while the second line refers to the Hessian mercenaries hired by the British to fight against the colonists during the American Revolution. The third line speaks to the loyalty of soldiers who will fight for their king no matter who that may be, while the fourth line makes an appeal to the rightful king, whoever that may be, to step forward and claim the throne. The underlying theme of this song speaks to the idea that power struggles are often complicated and multifaceted, and different people have different reasons for getting involved.
The chorus of the song is an invitation to celebrate and toast the potential rise of a new king. The "lady" and "soldier" represent the women and men who might be caught up in the battle for power, while the "fortune" refers to the potential rewards that come with being associated with the right side in this power struggle. However, the following two stanzas of the song show the darker side of this story. The first line of the second stanza yearns for the hills of home, which is a wish for a place of respite and refuge away from the turmoil of war. The second line speaks to the willingness of soldiers to fight and die for honor and country, while the third line recognizes that even the enemy is worthy of prayer. Finally, the fourth line acknowledges that the soldiers are ultimately in it for the money, as they are being paid to do the bidding of their king or country. The third stanza reinforces the idea of a multifaceted story, where there are different sides and different groups vying for power. The final line speaks to a specific person, "sweet William," who is characterized as merciless in war, and thus is not worthy of being celebrated as a potential king.
Line by Line Meaning
One for the sailing ship safe cross the sea
We pray for a safe journey across the sea on our sailing ship.
One for the Hessian's bold company
We raise a glass to the brave Hessian soldiers who fight alongside us.
One for the soldier who will follow me
We honor the soldier who is willing to follow my lead into battle.
One for the rightful king whoever he may be
We toast to the true king, whoever he may be, and pledge our allegiance to him.
Dance lady dance
Let the ladies dance and celebrate our victories.
Sing soldier sing
Let the soldiers sing and boost morale during the tough times of war.
Drink to the fortune
Let us toast to our fortunes, whether they be good or bad.
Of he who would be king
In honor of the man who strives to become the rightful king.
One for the hills of home far far away
We remember the beautiful hills of our homeland, far away from the battlefield.
One for the foreign field, honour and grave
We honor the foreign fields where our fallen comrades are buried.
One for the foreign foe for whom we pray
We pray for our enemy, hoping they find peace and understanding.
One for the dogs of war to keep us in pay
We raise a glass to the mercenaries who fight with us and keep us paid.
One for the lady, one for the lord
We honor both ladies and lords, acknowledging their respected roles in society.
One for the musket, one for the sword
We toast to both the musket and sword, recognizing their importance in war.
One for a bonnie prince, his promised word
We celebrate a prince who keeps his word and promises.
None for sweet William, merciless in war
We exclude William, known for his ruthlessness in war, from our celebration.
Dance lady dance
Once again, we invite the ladies to dance and join in our joyous celebration.
Sing soldier sing
We encourage the soldiers to continue their singing to uplift our spirits.
Drink to the fortune
We raise our glasses once more to the fortunes we have received.
Of he who would be king
In honor of the man who aspires to become the rightful king of our land.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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