{"id":29608,"date":"2026-03-18T09:52:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=29608"},"modified":"2026-03-20T06:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:48:09","slug":"ben-battle-faithless-nelly-gray","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/ben-battle-faithless-nelly-gray\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Battle (Faithless Nelly Gray)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Nelly Gray
<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1827<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Thomas Hood \/ Jonathan Blewitt<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN13385<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td> Joe Wilson, (Henry Russell in his ballad concerts)<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>none?<\/strong>
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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FAITHLESS NELLY GRAY (1827)<\/strong>
The Works of Thomas Hood Volume 1 p276 (London 1862)
[unabridged]

Ben Battle was a soldier bold,
And used to war's alarms:
But a cannon-ball took off his legs,
So he laid down his arms!

Now as they bore him off the field,
Said he, \u201cLet others shoot,
For here I leave my second leg,
And the Forty-second Foot!\u201d

The army-surgeons made him limbs:
Said he,\u2014\u201cThey're only pegs:
But there's as wooden Members quite.
As represent my legs!\u201d

Now Ben he loved a pretty maid,
Her name was Nelly Gray;
So he went to pay her his devours,
When he'd devoured his pay!

But when he called on Nelly Gray,
She made him quite a scoff;
And when she saw his wooden legs,
Began to take them off!

\u201cOh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray!
Is this your love so warm?
The love that loves a scarlet coat
Should be more uniform!\u201d

Said she, \u201cI loved a soldier once,
For he was blythe and brave;
But I will never have a man
With both legs in the grave!

\u201cBefore you had those timber toes,
Your love I did allow,
But then, you know, you stand upon
Another footing now!\u201d

\u201cOh, Nelly Gray! Oh, Nelly Gray!
For all your jeering speeches,
At duty's call, I left my legs,
In Badajos's breaches!\u201d

\u201cWhy then,\u201d said she, \u201cyou've lost the feet
Of legs in war's alarms,
And now you cannot wear your shoes
Upon your feats of arms!\u201d

\u201cOh, false and fickle Nelly Gray!
I know why you refuse:\u2014
Though I've no feet\u2014some other man
Is standing in my shoes!

\u201cI wish I ne'er had seen your face;
But, now, a long farewell!
For you will be my death;\u2014alas!
You will not be my Nell!\u201d

Now when he went from Nelly Gray,
His heart so heavy got\u2014
And life was such a burthen grown,
It made him take a knot!

So round his melancholy neck,
A rope he did entwine,
And, for his second time in life,
Enlisted in the Line!

One end he tied around a beam,
And then removed his pegs,
And, as his legs were off,\u2014of course,
He soon was off his legs!

And there he hung, till he was dead
As any nail in town,\u2014
For, though distress had cut him up,
It could not cut him down!

A dozen men sat on his corpse,
To find out why he died\u2014
And they buried Ben in four cross-roads,
With a stake in his inside!
<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Ben Battle<\/strong><\/em> or Faithless Nelly Gray <\/em><\/strong>was a popular comic poem written by Thomas Hood in around 1827. It was widely performed as a recitation, but it was also set to music several times, the best known musical setting is probably that of Jonathan Blewitt (1781-1853). From the mid-19th century refences to a song called “Nelly Gray<\/em>” may be referring to this or one of the other settings. It may also refer to the many songs which feature a character called Nelly Ray or Nellie Gray see Nelly Ray (I love a little country queen)<\/a> for some other examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song does not appear to have passed into the oral tradition. It was sung in Tyneside Music halls by Joe Wilson<\/a> and in ballad concerts by Henry Russell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n