Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines

From sheet music in Levy Collection

I am Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,
I often live beyond my means,
I sport young ladies in their teens,
To cut a swell in the army.
I teach the ladies how to dance,
how to dance, how to dance,
I teach the ladies how to dance,
For I'm their pet in the army.

I'm Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,
I give my horse good corn and beans;
Of course its quite beyond my means,
Tho a Captain in the army.

I join'd my corps when twenty-one,
Of course I thought it capital fun;
When the enemy came, then off I run,
I wasn't cut out for the army.
When I left home mama she cried,
mama she cried, mama she cried,
When I left home mama she cried
"He aint cut out for the army."

The first day I went out to drill
The bugle sound made me quite ill.
At the Balance step my hat it fell,
And that wouldn't do for the army.
The officers they all did shout,
they all cried out, they all did shout,
The officers they all did shout
"Oh that's the Cure of the army"!

My Tailor's bills came in so fast
Forc'd me one day to leave at last,
And ladies too no more did cast
Sheep's eyes at me in the army.
My Creditors at me did shout,
at me did shout, at me did shout,
My Creditors at me did shout,
"Why kick him out of the army."

The earliest record I can find of anyone singing this song is in 1862 when Maclagan’s comic ballad Captain Jinks was sung by “Mr Collins” at a People’s Concert in Bristol’s Broadmead Rooms (Western Daily Press 13 Oct 1862) . The earliest report of Tom Maclagan singing it (that I can find) is in 1866 in Scotland. Whilst later reports sometimes credit others, these early reports suggest that the song was written and composed by Tom Maclagan alone (his brief biography appear below).

In England Capt Jinks was most famously the song which established the career of Harry Rickards who was first recorded as singing it in London in 1867. Christopher Pulling described Capt Jinks as the first military swell song – a military version of the many songs which mocked well-to-do young men about town. Other “military swell” songs include George Leyborne’s Captain Cuff and GH MacDermott’s Captain Criterion.

The song was hugely popular in the US where it was popularised by Harry Lingard

The song was widely published on both sides of the Atlantic in various editions of sheet music, and in broadsides and songsters. There are multiple newspaper reports of amateur performances from 1866 on. Given its popularity in the 19th century, it’s perhaps not surprising that it has been widely collected from traditional singers, particularly in America (it has been collected once in Scotland, once in Canada and around 40 times in the USA). The tune is widely played as a dance – see entry in the Traditional Tune Archive (there is a suggestion that Maclagan may have borrowed the melody from an earlier 18th century march or jig).

The title Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines was also used for the early 20th century play that launched Ethel Barrymore’s career, a silent film made in 1916 and an opera written in the mid-1970s.

Tom Maclagan (1827-1902) was born and brought up in Edinburgh and as a musically gifted youngster he joined the army to play in a regimental band. He left the army after a year and travelled to London where his musicianship and dancing skills won him several parts in theatre productions, famous in particular for his role as The Bold Soldier Boy. In the 1860s he toured the country as an actor and for a while appeared as a blackface minstrel in London, before gaining his reputation as one of the early stars of the Music Halls and pantomime and taking the name The Great Maclagan. He was popular both in London and the provinces in the 1860s and 70s, again giving the lie to the claim that Harry Lauder was the first successful Scottish comedian in London! He famously sang: The bold soldier boy, Capt Jinks , and Bitter Beer. For several years he managed the Gaiety theatre in West Hartlepool were he gave songs, dances violin, flute, piano and concertina solos. Late in life rheumatism forced him into poverty and he lived in a “benevolent institution in Edinburgh”. He had a reputation as a fine landscape painter.

Here’s a version recorded by Pa’s Fiddle:

Recorded as square dance by Pete Seeger:

Sources:

• VWML entry
• Kilgarrif Sing Us
• Lyrics and sheet Music:Levy Collection
• Mudcat thread
• Military swell songs are discussed in Christopher Pulling’s They were singing p29
• Tom Maclagan Obituaries: Weekly Journal (Hartlepool) 22Aug 1902; Music Hall and Theatre Review – 15 Aug 1902; The Era –  16 Aug 1902
• Ballad Index

Last Updated on March 16, 2024 by John Baxter | Published: February 25, 2024