Annotation:Brags of Washington (The)
X:1 T:Brags of Washington, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Air N:Frank Kidson had the tune in two different musician's manuscript N:collections in his possession, one dated 1791. However, he was not N:able to locate it in any printed collections. He suggested "it never N:reached a more exalted station than on a broadside." K:G D|GB Bd|cB AG|GB dg|d3B|cc AA|B2 GB|cA GF|G3:| |:e|dg ge|fd dd|dg ge|f2 dd|dg ge|fddB|cc ce|dc BA| GB Bd|cB AG|GB dg|d3B|c2 AA|BB GB|cA GF|G3:|
BRAGS OF WASHINGTON, THE. AKA and see "Jack the Jolly Ploughboy," "Jolly Plowman (1)," "Jolly Ploughman (1)," "To Rodney We will go." English, Air (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Music researcher Frank Kidson, writing in around the turn of the 20th century, remarks that he found "Brags of Washington" in two anonymous musicians' manuscript collections in his possession, one dating to 1791. However, he was not able to trace the song to a printed volume or collection, and was forced to suggest that "it never reached a more exalted station than printed on a broadside." In addition to the Kidson mss., the tune was also included in the large mid-19th century music manuscript collection of biography:John Roose (Manchester, England). The ballad "Brags of Washington" [Roud Number: 22795] was issued in single sheet broadsides with all the puffed-up bravado of mid-conflict patriotic propaganda.
'
COME all you brave seamen, and landsmen likewise,
That have got an inclination your fortunes to rise,
That have got an inclination to fight the proud Bostonians,
And soon we'll let you know that we are the sons of Britain.
[Refrain:] Fal, lal.
As for the brags of Washington, that never can be,
There is Carlton and Clinton have shewn their bravery,
There is Darby and Rodney commanders of the ocean,
And many a brave fellow is waiting for promotion.
And if you meet a privateer, or a loſty man of war,
We never stand to wrangle, to jangle, or to jar,
We give them a broadside, and ſay, my lads take care O,
And keep your proper distance from an English man of war O.
And if they will not fight us, but from us run away,
All with our heavy chain-ſhot we'll cut their masts away,
And if they will not yield to us, nor unto us surrender,
We'll split their ship in pieces, and to the bottom send her.
As for the brags of Washington we care not a pin,
We will fire at his breast-works, and make him let us in,
Our bomb shells and cannons shall roar like mighty thunder,
And by our constant ſiring we will make them to surrender.
And when the wars are over, if ſortune saves our lives,
We will bring great store of riches to our sweethearts and our wives.
And drink a health unto the lad that has a heart to inter,
That man can never gain a prize that is afraid to venture.
The tune would have been a familiar one in the closing decades of the 18th century, known as the air and country dance tune "To Rodney We will go", a reference to wikipedia:George_Brydges_Rodney,_1st_Baron_Rodney (1718-1792), hero of the wikipedia:Battle_of_the_Saintes in 1782. More distantly, it is related to the "Jack the Jolly Ploughboy" family of tunes (particularly the first strain), which has variants in England and Ireland. The strong resemblance to one of the most honored and familiar song airs in English tradition, "The Nutting Girl" (A-nutting we will go), is unmistakable.
