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On the fourteenth day of June, my b'ys, on Flanders where we lay,
Such bugle 'larms of all did sound before the dawn of day;
Three British boldly Brunswickers and men of Erin too, oh,
How they crowd sails that morning for the plains of Waterloo.
On the very first march we did proceed, 'twas three in the afternoon,
Each Briton's heart like fury burned, their tyrants to fall down;
Near Quatrebras we meet the French, their shapes to us endure, oh,
And in steel armour they was clothed on the plains of Waterloo.
In fierce array Britannia stood and viewed his sons that day,
The prince had come to Wellington and this to him did say,
"If you'll not believe of laurels grand on yon Europa's brow,
Attack us all! -- you shall be called the prince of Waterloo."
Bonaparte said to his soldiers before the fight begun,
"My heroes if this day we lose our nation is undone;
The Russians we have already beat and soon will the English too,
And display victorious eagles on the plains of Waterloo."
"Now to the right about, my boys, fresh laurels for to gain,
Disdain e'en every danger though thousands here lay slain;
Well done, my boys," Wellington cries, "my army is but small, oh,
Although we fought them three to one we forced them for to yield.
"Now to the right about, my boys, and give to them three cheers,
Never mind their firing, my brave boys, but keep your left rank clear;
Well done, my boys," Wellington cries, "my army is but small, oh,
The worst of all that grieves me so to see my Britons fall."
Then smoke and fire consumed the air and thunder reached the skies,
Soon we enclosed upon their rear and forced them for to fly;
Three generals leaved behind them their guns and colours too, oh,
While Britons boldly cheered them all from the plains of Waterloo.
And now returning home again we'll make the ale-house ring,
We'll drink in toast the girls we love and George our sovereign king;
And we will go to Trafalgar where Nelson bled before, oh,
And Spain shall soon the trumpet sound that welcomes us on shore.
Collected in 1958 from Freeman Bennett of St. Paul's, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 3, pp.1016-1017, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Kenneth Peacock noted that this is the historical version of The Plains Of Waterloo and may be found in several collections including Ford's Vagabond Songs And Ballads Of Scotland, I, pp.59-63. In Traditional Tunes (1891) Frank Kidson says this version of the ballad was supposed to have been composed by a Sergeant Grant of the 92nd Regiment immediately after the battle.
