Rout of the Blues

DESCRIPTION: The Blues have their orders and parade to the ship, rigged and ready to sail. "Lasses ... crying and tearing their hair" run home to mother and say they'll pack up and "march with the blues." All drink and cheer "success to King George and his Blues"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1839 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 16(285d))
KEYWORDS: army farewell ship drink nonballad
FOUND IN: Britain(England(West))
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "ROUT OF THE BLUES"
Reeves/Sharp-TheIdiomOfThePeople 82, "Rout of the Blues" (2 texts)
Palmer-SongsOfTheMidlands, p. 32, "Rout of the Blues" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #21098
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 16(285d), "Success to the Blues" ("As I was going down Rosemary-lane"), J. Catnach (London), 1813-1838; also Harding B 15(321a), "Success to the Blues"
NOTES [34 words]: "The Blues" are the "Royal Horse Guards." "In 1750 the regiment became the Royal Horse Guards Blue and eventually, in 1877, The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues)" (source: Wikipedia, "Royal Horse Guards"). - BS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: ReSh082

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