One, Two, Three, Relief of Kimberley

DESCRIPTION: "One, two, three, relief of Kimberley, Four, five, six, relief of Ladysmith, Seven, eight, nine, relief of Bloemfontein."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 2001 (Sacks)
KEYWORDS: war | counting
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1899-1902 - Second Boer War
Feb 14, 1900 - The siege of Kimberley ended after 124 days
Feb 28, 1900 - After several unsuccessful fights, the army of Redvers Buller ends the siege of Ladysmith after 118 days
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
ADDITIONAL: Oliver Sacks, _Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood_, Vintage Books, 2001, p. 37 note, "(no title)" (1 short text)
NOTES [136 words]: This is a conundrum. Oliver Sacks claims this as a traditional song, learned from his mother more than four decades after the Boer War. I have been unable to find any other full text, but a book by Peter Robins, Stony Glances, 1991, mentions it as if it were well-known. I don't think that's enough evidence to prove that the song is traditional, but it's enough that I include it here in case another version shows up.
There is perhaps an error in the Sacks text quoted in the description: Bloemfontein was never "relieved"; it was a Boer city which the British occupied. It occurs to me that the original third line might be "Seve, eight, nine, Relief of Mafeking," because Mafeking was the third city to suffer a major siege. The rhyme isn't as good, but the British were skilled at mispronouncing things.... - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: Bd123Re

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography