Colonel Hay

DESCRIPTION: "He's a brave commander, Colonel Hay, An' I think it's him that we'll a' gang wi', He's enlistin' a body of fine young men, To fight the French." A good escape "if ye get a girl wi' child." He's a gentleman and has "plenty of everything you want"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1903 (Greig/Duncan1)
KEYWORDS: recruiting war Scotland France humorous nonballad soldier
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Greig/Duncan1 75, "Colonel Hay" (3 texts, 3 tunes)
Roud #5796
NOTES [89 words]: Greig/Duncan1: "In 1794 Colonel Alexander Leith-Hay, who was also known simply as Colonel Hay, raised the 109th Regiment of Foot (The Aberdeenshire Regiment), and in 1798 Colonel Andrew Hay raised the Banffshire Fencibles which saw service in Gibraltar before being reduced in 1802. The song could refer to either of these men but perhaps the use of a tune with Banff connections may point to the second as the more likely. Of course, if the song had been composed in 1794 it might have been applied to the other colonel Hay in 1798." - BS
Last updated in version 2.4
File: GrD1075

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