{"id":9473,"date":"2021-03-05T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T16:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=9473"},"modified":"2021-03-06T17:06:44","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06T17:06:44","slug":"follow-the-drum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/follow-the-drum\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow the drum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
AKA<\/strong><\/td>Sound of the drum
The village deserted to follow the drum<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>c1830<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Writer\/composer<\/td>Thomas Hudson \/ J Blewitt<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN1076<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Thomas Hudson<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Albery, William; England : Hampshire; no date
Keech, Simeon; England : Dorset : Poole 1906
Franklin, Henry; England : Oxfordshire; 1911
Parrott, Mrs. England : Bedfordshire : Bedford 1923
Parrott, D. England : Cambridgeshire 1959

Modern performances<\/strong>
The Yetties
Steve Turner <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Catnach Broadside dated 1813-38<\/strong>\n\nTWAS in the merry month of May,\nWhen bees from flower to flower did hum,\nSoldiers through the town march'd gay,\nThe village flew to the sound of the drum \nFrom windows lasses look'd a score,\nNeighbours met at every door,\nSerjeant twirl'd his sash and story,\nAnd talk'd of wounds, honor, and glory.\n\n'Twas in the merry month, &c.\n\nRoger swore he'd leave his plough,\nHis team and tillage, all, by gun!\nOf a country life he'd had enow\u2014\nHe'd leave it all and follow the drum.\nHe'd leave his thrashing in the barn,\nTo thrash his foes right soon he'd learn,\nWith sword in hand he would not parley,\nBut thrash his foes instead of the barley.\n\nThe Cobbler he threw by his awl,\nWhen all were glad, he'd ne'er be glum,\nBut quick attend to glory's call,\nAnd like a man would follow the drum.\nNo more at home he'd be a slave,\nBut take his seat amid the brave ;\nIn battle's seat none should be prouder,\nStead of balls and wax, he'd have balls and powder.\n\nThe Tailor he got off his knees,\nAnd to the ranks did boldly come :\nHe said he ne'er would sit at his ease,\nBut follow the rest, and follow the drum.\nHow he'd leather the foes, good Lord !\nWhen he'd a bodkin for a sword,\nThe French should find he didn't wheedle,\nWhen he'd a spear instead of a needle.\n\nThree Old Women\u2014the first was lame,\nThe second was blind, and the third nigh dumb,\nTo stay behind was a burning shame,\nThey'd follow the men, and follow the drum !\nOur wills are good, but lack-a-day,\nTo catch the soldiers we will try for it,\nFor where there's a will, there's always a way,\nWe'll walk a mile or two if we die for them.<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The village deserted to follow the drum <\/em>usually shortened to Follow the drum<\/em> was written to be performed in the singing taverns and supper clubs of 1830s London, that influenced the development of Music Hall in that city. It comes from the pen of Thomas Hudson<\/a> – it must have been of his more popular songs as he chose to publish it as sheet music rather than in one of his songbooks. Searches in 19th-century newspapers revealed that it was a popular song throughout the century, regularly performed by a variety of singers on the Music Hall stage. The song was extremely widely published in songbooks and broadsides throughout the 19th century on both sides of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The earliest reference I can find is in 1833, when it was advertised for sale as a comic song published by Collard and Collard in Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not to be confused  with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n