General Taylor
The Bilge Pumps Lyrics
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Walk him along, John, Carry him along
General Taylor gained the day
Carry him to his burying ground
Chorus:
To me way, hey, hey Stormy
Walk him along, John, carry him along
Carry him to his burying ground
I wish I wa sold Stormy's son
I'd build me a ship of 10, 000 ton
I'd load her down with ale and rum
And every shellback should have some
We dug his grave with a silver spade
His shroud of the finest silk was made
We lowered him down on a golden chain
On every link we carved his name
General Taylor died long ago
He's gone to where the winds don't blow
General Taylor's dead and gone
General Taylor's dead and gone
The Bilge Pumps's song "General Taylor" tells the story of General Zachary Taylor, who was a soldier and politician best known as the twelfth President of the United States. The song starts with the line "General Taylor gained the day," which refers to his victory in the Mexican-American War. This war was fought between the United States and Mexico, and led to the acquisition of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
The chorus of the song, which goes "To me way, hey, hey Stormy, walk him along, John, carry him along, way, hey, hey Stormy, carry him to his burying ground," is a traditional sea shanty refrain. The lyrics tell the tale of a sailor named Stormy, who wishes that he was General Taylor's son. He wants to build a ship of 10,000 tons and load her down with ale and rum. The song also mentions the funeral of General Taylor, with the line "We dug his grave with a silver spade, his shroud of the finest silk was made, we lowered him down on a golden chain, on every link we carved his name."
Line by Line Meaning
General Taylor gained the day
General Taylor won the battle
Walk him along, John, Carry him along
Take his body away
Carry him to his burying ground
Take him to the graveyard for burial
To me way, hey, hey Stormy
A cry of lamentation for the dead
I wish I wa sold Stormy's son
I wish I was the son of a wealthy man
I'd build me a ship of 10, 000 ton
I would build a massive ship
I'd load her down with ale and rum
I would fill the ship with alcohol
And every shellback should have some
Everyone onboard should have some drinking
We dug his grave with a silver spade
We buried him with dignity
His shroud of the finest silk was made
We wrapped him in a luxurious cloth
We lowered him down on a golden chain
We showed respect when burying him
On every link we carved his name
We paid tribute to him
General Taylor died long ago
General Taylor has been dead for a long time
He's gone to where the winds don't blow
He's gone to the afterlife
General Taylor's dead and gone
General Taylor is deceased
Contributed by Zoe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.