Lillibullero

"Lillibullero" is a march that sets the words of a satirical ballad generally said to be by Lord Thomas Wharton to music attributed to Henry Purcell. Although Purcell published "Lillibullero" in his compilation "Music's Handmaid" of 1689 as "a new Irish tune", it is probable that Purcell hijacked the tune as his own, a common practice in the musical world of the time. It is stated in a BBC's article on its signature tune (see External Links) that the tune "started life as a jig with Irish roots, whose first appearance seems to be in a collection published in London in 1661 entitled 'An Antidote Against Melancholy', where it is set to the words "There was an old man of Waltham Cross"." A French version of the tune is known as the "Marche du Prince d'Orange", attributed to Louis XIV's court composers Philidor the Elder and Jean-Baptiste Lully.

The lyrics refer to the Williamite war in Ireland 1689-91, which arose out of the Glorious Revolution. In this episode King James II abdicated and fled after an invasion of England by Dutch forces under William III. William was invited by Parliament to the throne. James II then tried to reclaim the crown with the assistance of France and his Catholic supporters in Ireland led by Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell. His hopes of using Ireland to reconquer England was thwarted at the Battle of the Boyne in July 1690. The song 'Lilliburlero' puts words into the mouths of Irish Catholic Jacobites and satirizing their sentiments, pillories the supporters of the Catholic King James. It was said to have ‘sung James II out of three kingdoms’. The tune seems to have been known at the time of the English Civil War.

Lyrics

:Ho, brother Teague, dost hear the decree?:Lillibullero bullen a la:We are to have a new deputy:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"::Lero Lero Lillibullero:Lillibullero bullen a la:Lero Lero Lero Lero:Lillibullero bullen a la

:Oh by my soul it is a Talbot:Lillibullero bullen a la:And he will cut every Englishman's throat:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

:Now Tyrconnell is come ashore:Lillibullero bullen a la:And we shall have commissions galore:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

:And everyone that won't go to Mass:Lillibullero bullen a la:He will be turned out to look like an ass:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

:Now the heretics all go down:Lillibullero bullen a la:By Christ and St Patrick's the nation's our own:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

:There was an old prophecy found in a bog:Lillibullero bullen a la:The country'd be ruled by an ass and a dog:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

:Now this prophecy is all come to pass:Lillibullero bullen a la:For James is the dog and Tyrconnell's the ass:Lillibullero bullen a la

:"Refrain"

An explanation of the lyrics

The lyrics of the song are very closely related to Irish politics of the 1680s and '90s. "Teague" or Taig was (and is) an abusive term for the native Irish Catholics -derived from the Irish first name "Tadhg". The "new Deputy" refers to Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, who was appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland by James II in 1688. The first Irishman and Roman Catholic to hold the post in nearly 200 years, he quickly filled the army in Ireland with Catholic officers (hence "we will have commissions galore") and recruits, alarming the Protestant community (mainly composed of English and Scottish settlers) and raising the hopes of the Irish Catholic community for a restoration of their lands and political power ("by Christ and St Patrick, the nation's our own"). The Catholic resurgence awakened Protestant fears of a massacre of all British and Protestant inhabitants of Ireland, which they believed had been attempted in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 ("he will cut every Englishman's throat").

The song parodies the widespread Irish belief in prophecy ("there was an old prophecy found in a bog, that Ireland'd be ruled by an ass and a dog"). Talbot as well as being a name is a breed of hound or hunting dog. A common theme of such prophecies was the foreigners would be driven out of Ireland in some decisive battle. See the Siege of Limerick (1690), for an example of these attitudes. The song's title and the words of the refrain have been interpreted as a garbled version of the Irish words "Lile ba léir é, ba linn an lá", "Lilly was clear and ours was the day". The lily may be a reference to the fleur de lis of France, or to a popular interpreter of prophecies named William Lilly, who had prophesied in the late 16th century that a Catholic would come to the throne of England. Alternatively, the lyrics could mean, "Lilly is clear [about this] , the day will be ours".It is also thought that "Lilli" is a familiar form of William, and that bullero comes from the Irish "Buaill Léir ó", which gives: " William defeated all that remained"

The Protestant Boys

Other words have been set to the tune. Of these words, the best-known, is "The Protestant Boys", an Ulster Protestant folk lyric which is sung and played by the Orange Order during its parades, which have been made the subject of controversy during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. These lyrics begin:

:The Protestant Boys are loyal and true:Stout hearted in battle and stout-handed too:The Protestant Boys are true to the last:And faithful and peaceful when danger has passed:And Oh! they bear and proudly wear:The colours that floated o'er many a fray:Where cannon were flashing:And sabres were clashing:The Protestant Boys still carried the day.

Overtures from Richmond

Yet another set of lyrics [Silber, Irwin. "Songs of the Civil War". New York: Columbia University Press, 1960.] set to the tune at the time of the American Civil War is attributed to the ballad scholar Francis J. Child, born in Boston in 1825. It is a satire on Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy, insinuating that the South's real motive for encouraging Texas to secede was a greedy desire to acquire Texas' considerable resources for its own benefit. The "Uncle Sam" of the lyrics refers not to the United States government, but rather to Sam Houston, who adamantly opposed the secession of Texas from the Union.

:1. "Well, Uncle Sam," says Jefferson D.,:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"You'll have to join my Confed'racy,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, that don't appear-o,:That don't appear," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero, :That don't appear," says old Uncle Sam.

:2. "So, Uncle Sam, just lay down your arms,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"Then you shall hear my reas'nable terms,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, I'd like to hear-o:I'd like to hear," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:I'd like to hear," says old Uncle Sam.

:3. "First you must own I've beat you in a fight,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"then that I always have been in the right,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, rather severe-o,:rather severe," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:Rather severe," says old Uncle Sam.

:4. "Then you must pay my national debts,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"No questions asked about my assets,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, that's very dear-o,:That's very dear," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:That's very dear," says old Uncle Sam.

:5. "Also some few IOUs and bets,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"Mine, and Bob Toombs', and Sidell's and Rhett's,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, that leaves me zero,:That leaves me zero," says Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:That leaves me zero," says Uncle Sam.

:6. "And by the way, one little thing more,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"You're to refund the costs of the war,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, just what I fear-o,:Just what I fear," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:Just what I fear," says old Uncle Sam.

:7. "Next you must own our Cavalier blood!":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"And that your Puritans sprang from the mud!":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, that mud is clear-o,:That mud is clear," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:That mud is clear," says old Uncle Sam.

:8. "Slavery's, of course, the chief corner-stone,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"Of our new civilization!":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, that's quite sincere-o,:That's quite sincere," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:That's quite sincere," says old Uncle Sam.

:9. "You'll understand, my recreant tool,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"You're to submit, and we are to rule,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, aren't you a hero!:Aren't you a hero," says Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:Aren't you a hero," says Uncle Sam.

:10. "If to these terms you fully consent,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,:"I'll be perpetual King-President,":Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.:"Lero, lero, take your sombrero,:Off to your swamps," says old Uncle Sam,:"Lero, lero, filibustero,:Cut, double quick!" says old Uncle Sam.

The BBC and Lillibullero

The tune of Lillibullero was adopted by the British Broadcasting Corporation's World War II programme "Into Battle" and became the unofficial march of the Commandos of the British Army. Since its association with the BBC's role in the war, various recordings of Lillibullero have been played by the BBC as an identity signal. These include a marching band and a symphony orchestra. The most recent recording, written by David Arnold Music and performed by a string orchestra, was until recently played on the BBC World Service several times a day. A shortened version is currently sometimes played just before the top of the hour before the news. See also External Links.

A well regarded argument for the persistence of Lillibullero as a signature tune of the BBC World Service was that its powerful and simple structure was an effective means of identifying the broadcaster. The engineers who selected it were unaware of its origins.

REME

Lillibullero is the (official) Regimental March of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (abbrev. REME). This Corps was established during the Second World War and so the BBC's official wartime use of Lillibullero described above may well have played a part in its selection by REME.

Lillibullero in "Tristram Shandy"

Lawrence Sterne's experimental and comic novel "Tristram Shandy", published between 1759 and 1767 in nine volumes, hints at the great popularity of Lillibullero. One character, Captain Toby Shandy, a British Army veteran of the fighting in Ireland and the Low Countries during King William's reign, whistles the tune to Lillibullero when he is offered any opinion or argument which would require passionate rebuttal or which he considers particularly silly.

ee also

*"The Boyne Water"
*"Croppies Lie Down"

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/william/flash/lillibullero/lillibullero.shtml BBC web page including a sung recording of "Lillibullero"]
* [http://www.jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/bbc_ws_lillibullero_stereo.mp3 In stereo, David Arnold's full version of "Lillibullero" as heard on the BBC World Service]
* [http://www.ominous-valve.com/sounds/bbc0.mp3 The original BBC World Service version of "Lillibullero" in.mp3 format]
* [http://ingeb.org/songs/theprote.html Complete lyrics to "The Protestant Boys"]
* [http://www.portabletubes.co.uk/sitefiles/lilibulero.wav BBC World Service interval signal recording of "Lillibulero" in .wav format]
* [http://www.davethehat.com/midi/irish.mid A MIDI performance of "A New Irish Tune in G (Lilliburlero)", Z 646, from "Musick's Hand-Maid (Pieces for Harpsichord)" by Purcell 1689]
* [http://lucidbe.googlepages.com/PurcellLilliburleroFull.mp3 A real harpsichord performance of "A New Irish Tune" by Gustav Leonhardt (it is a mono, 24 kbit/s, file)]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/faq/news/story/2005/08/050810_wssigtune.shtml What is the BBC World Service signature tune?]
*gutenberg|no=1079|name=The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000065VVM Bedlam Abbey instrumental version of the song (MP3)]