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The Deserter Lyrics
As I was a-walking down Radcliffe highway
A recruiting party came a-beating my way
They enlisted me and treated me till I did not know
And to the Queen's barracks they forced me to go
When first I deserted, I thought myself free
Until my cruel comrade informed against me
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me
Court martial, court martial, they held upon me
And the sentence passed upon me, three hundred and three
May the Lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty
For now the Queen's duty lies heavy on me
When next I deserted, I thought myself free
Until my cruel sweetheart informed against me
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me
Court martial, court martial, then quickly was got
And the sentence passed upon me, that I was to be shot
May the Lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty
For now the Queen's duty lies heavy on me
Then up rode Prince Albert in his carriage and six
Saying "Where is that young man whose coffin is fixed?
Set him free from his irons and let him go free
For he'll make a good soldier for his Queen and country
A recruiting party came a-beating my way
They enlisted me and treated me till I did not know
And to the Queen's barracks they forced me to go
Until my cruel comrade informed against me
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me
And the sentence passed upon me, three hundred and three
May the Lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty
For now the Queen's duty lies heavy on me
Until my cruel sweetheart informed against me
I was quickly followed after and brought back with speed
I was handcuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me
And the sentence passed upon me, that I was to be shot
May the Lord have mercy on them for their sad cruelty
For now the Queen's duty lies heavy on me
Saying "Where is that young man whose coffin is fixed?
Set him free from his irons and let him go free
For he'll make a good soldier for his Queen and country
Song Info
Submitted by
sirraustusbear On Dec 25, 2007
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Nothing to add re MEANING, which is pretty straight forward I see this was written by an eminent member of Fairport Convention (are there any NON eminent members? But this came from a major contributor.\n\nIt manages to catch the FEEL, sort of, of a Victorian era patriotic song - and the quibbles I have may have been to make the song flow properly. \n\nUmm, the "merciful" first sentence, 303 lashes if I underetand the words correctly, basically amounts to bring whipped to death! I am reminded of the very graphic flogging of Jesus in "the passion of the Christ" - also a pretty gruesome "merciful" sentence, which could only inflame the Sanhedrin\'s conservative wing more!\n\nRunning home to his sweetheart? Why not leave glowing footprints! THe man\'s home town would be the first place they\'d look!\n\nBut it\'s with the deus ex machina from Prince Albert that this song sort of wanders into the science fiction realm! Spare the kid, he\'ll get inspired and become a good little soldier! Not a likely thought to occur to any aristocrat or military commander of that era! Ran away twice? Trying to reform this coward would be a waste of time! Perhaps Albert\'s intervention might inspire significant personal loyalty, though "prince\'s bodyguard" seems an unlikely assignment for a person with this fellow\'s record! \n\nAnd then there\'s a chain of command issue - Prince Albert had no formal authority over the army - he was a pretty good guy and a canny politician to all accounts, and hey - being nice to your theoretical boss\'s husband (at that point Victiria wasn\'t in charge either, and the prince schooled her on that issue when she locked horns with a government she didn\'t like after losing the PM she loved) probably wouldn\'t hurt one\'s prospects unless the Queen\'s own self had a hissy fit about Albert\'s interference unlikely since the guy had oodles or MORAL authority and commended a lot of respect. Albert Art\'s involvement might have been consistent with his well known thoughts about slavery in the Empire, but soldiers have always been a different case.\n\nWell. Enough ravings about minutiae. Regardless of any quibbles re the narrative, I love this song. I regard Liege and Lief as a wall to wall masterpiece, vocally and instrumentally! Bless those who created it, including the lady who tragically died of a fall just a few years later - what a voice!\n\nBye now...