The British Grenadiers
Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules
Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these
But of all the world’s great heroes
There’s none that can compare
With a tow, row row row , row row row
To the British Grenadiers
None of these ancient heroes ne’er saw a cannon ball
Nor knew the force of powder to slay their foes with all
But our brave boys do know it and banish all their fears
Sing tow, row row row , row row row
For the British Grenadiers
When e’er we are commanded to storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fuses, and we with hand grenades;
We throw them from the glacis about the enemies’ ears
Sing tow, row row row , row row row
For the British Grenadiers
And when the siege is over, we to the town repair
The townsmen cry ‘Hurrah, boys, here comes a Grenadier’
Here come the Grenadiers, my boys, who know no doubts or fears
Sing tow, row row row , row row row
For the British Grenadiers
So let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the louped clouthes
May they and their commanders live happy all their years
Sing tow, row row row , row row row
For the British Grenadiers
Can someone explain to me:
What the British Grenadiers have to do with the price of fish, and
Why JRM shouldn't get a pasting for quoting the song in 2020?
The tune is basically a reworking of 'Wilhelmus van Nassouwe' (aka Wilhelmus, the Netherlands national anthem) filched from the Dutch, and commemorates a 1695 British grenadier victory over the French fortress of Namur in Flanders during the Nine Years War.
Comments section says all you need to know about why this particular song may have appealed to JRM.