"Lillibullero" (also spelled Lillibulero, Lilliburlero, or Lilli Burlero) is a
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
attributed to
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer.
Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
that became popular in England at the time of the
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
of
1688
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Fleeing from the Spanish Navy, French pirate Raveneau de Lussan and his 70 men arrive on the west coast of Nicaragua, sink their boats, and make a difficult 10 day march to the city of Oco ...
.
Background
Henry Purcell is alleged to have composed the melody of "Lillibulero" for a
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
in
1686
Events
January–March
* January 3 – In Madras (now Chennai) in India, local residents employed by the East India Company threaten to boycott their jobs after corporate administrator William Gyfford imposes a house tax on res ...
, but this is still disputed:
LILLBURLERO. A 17th-century party tune ... It has been attributed to Henry Purcell, but whether Purcell composed the melody or only fitted the bass is a question not finally settled.
The melody is found in the second half of Purcell's piece, the
quickstep
The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal a ...
. There is no extant manuscript of this 1686 march. It was first published that year in ''The Delightful Companion'',
John Playford's method book for
recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
. Writing over 200 years later,
William Chappell surmised that Purcell's tune deserves nine-tenths of the credit for the popularity of the song.
[Chappell, William.]
Purcell
, Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Volume 2. 1900.
Also in 1686,
Lord Thomas Wharton composed lyrics for Purcell's tune. The rakish Wharton was satirizing
King James II's appointment of
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell PC (c. 1630 – 14 August 1691) was an Irish politician, courtier and soldier.
Talbot's early career was spent as a cavalryman in the Irish Confederate Wars. Following a period on the Continent, he joined ...
as
Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
. Wharton's conceit is a sarcastic conversation between two Irishmen about the imminent arrival of the Catholic Talbot, and its dire implications for the Protestants.
"Lilliburlero" (with ''-rl'') was the watchword used by Irish Catholics during the
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantatio ...
.
[Percy, Thomas. ]
of Ancient English Poetry
', Vol. 2. 1765.
The song initially made very little impression on the public. However, when James II began transferring Irish regiments to England in
1688
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Fleeing from the Spanish Navy, French pirate Raveneau de Lussan and his 70 men arrive on the west coast of Nicaragua, sink their boats, and make a difficult 10 day march to the city of Oco ...
,
broadsides of the lyrics were printed, and "Lillibullero" became immensely popular by October.
[Crump, Galbraith M. d ''Poems on Affairs of State, Augustan Satirical Verse, 1660-1714'' Vol IV, 1685-1688. Yale, New Haven and London, 1968.] It spread as a popular street song in English towns, and especially inside English barracks to mock the arriving Irish regiments.
[Macaulay, Thomas Babington. ]
History of England
Vol. 3.'' 1869.[Burnet, Gilbert. ]
Bishop Burnet's History of His Own time
', Volume 1. 1724.
The next month,
William of Orange invaded, and "Lillibullero" became even more commonplace. Even the palace guards supposedly loyal to James II were heard singing it.
A second part was published to the song as William advanced. The language of the second part is even rougher as two Irish soldiers stationed in England pine for home since the English hate them anyway.
Wharton boasted that he had "sung a deluded Prince out of three kingdoms". Many alternate versions cropped up during these tumultuous days. By 17 November an anti-Dutch parody of the original, "A New Song Upon the Hogen Mogens" was in circulation, drawing on popular animosity against the Dutch, who had been the national enemy for a generation, in order to counter the appeal of the original.
Lyrics
''"Lillibullero bullen a la" is repeated after every line in each verse. Those repetitions are omitted after the first verse here to save space.''
:1686 Version
:Ho, brother
Teague, dost hear the decree?
:Lillibullero bullen a la
:We are to have a new
deputy
Deputy or depute may refer to:
* Steward (office)
* Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy"
* Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including:
** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
:Lillibullero bullen a la
::''Refrain'':
::Lero Lero Lillibullero
::Lillibullero bullen a la
::Lero Lero Lero Lero
::Lillibullero bullen a la
:Oh by my soul it is
a Talbot
:And he will cut every Englishman's throat ''(Refrain)''
:Though, by my soul, the English do prate
:The law's on their side and the devil knows what ''(Refrain)''
:But if
dispense do come from
the Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
:We'll hang
Magna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
and themselves on a rope ''(Refrain)''
:And the good Talbot is now made a Lord
:And with his brave lads he's coming aboard ''(Refrain)''
:Who all in France have taken a swear,
:That they will have no Protestant heir ''(Refrain)''
:Now Tyrconnell is come ashore
:And we shall have
commissions galore ''(Refrain)''
:And everyone that won't go to
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
:He will be turned out to look like an ass
:Now the
heretic
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
s all go down
:By Christ and
St Patrick
Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...
's the nation's our own ''(Refrain)''
:There was an old prophecy found in a bog
:The country'd be ruled by an ass and a dog ''(Refrain)''
:Now this prophecy is all come to pass
:For Talbot's the dog and Tyrconnell's the ass ''(Refrain)''
:1688 Version
:By Chreist, my dear Morish, vat maukes de sho' sad ?
:The heretics jear us and mauke me mad. ''(Refrain)''
:Pox take me, dear Teague, but I am in a rage,
:Poo', what impidence is in dish age? ''(Refrain)''
:Vat if Dush should come as dey hope,
:To up hang us for all de dispense of de Pope? ''(Refrain)''
:Dey shay dat Tyrconnel's a friend to de mash,
:For which he's a traitor, a pimp, and an ass. ''(Refrain)''
:Ara', plague tauke me know, I make a swar,
:I to Shent Tyburn will mauke a great prayer. ''(Refrain)''
:Oh, I will pray to Shent Patrick's frock,
:Or to Loreto's sacred smock. ''(Refrain)''
:Now, a pox tauke me, what dost dow tink,
:De English confusion to Popery drink. ''(Refrain)''
:And, by my shoul, de mash house pull down,
:While dey were swearing de Mayor of de town. ''(Refrain)''
:Oh, fait and be, I'll mauke de decree,
:And swar by de Chancellor's modesty; ''(Refrain)''
:Dat I no longer in English will stay,
:For be Goad, dey will hang us out of de way. ''(Refrain)''
Meaning
The first Irish Roman Catholic to serve as Lord Deputy of Ireland in nearly 200 years, Talbot quickly filled the army in Ireland with Catholic officers (hence "we will have commissions galore") and recruits, alarming the Protestants and raising the hopes of the Irish Catholic community for a restoration of their lands and political power ("by Christ and St Patrick, the nation's our own"). The Catholic resurgence created fears amongst Irish Protestants of a massacre, similar to that which had happened in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
The song parodies the widespread Irish belief in prophecy ("there was an old prophecy found in a bog, that Ireland'd be ruled by an ass and a dog"). Talbot, as well as being a name, is
a breed of hound or hunting dog. A common theme of such prophecies was that the foreigners would be driven out of Ireland in some decisive battle. See the
Siege of Limerick for an example of these attitudes. The song's title and the words of the refrain have been interpreted as a garbled version of the
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
words ''An Lile ba léir é, ba linn an lá'', "The Lily was everywhere and ours was the day (i.e., we won
)". The lily may be a reference to the
fleur de lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
of France, or to the most celebrated astrologer of the mid seventeenth century,
William Lilly
William Lilly (9 June 1681) was a seventeenth century English astrologer. He is described as having been a genius at something "that modern mainstream opinion has since decided cannot be done at all" having developed his stature as the most imp ...
, who became well known for prophesy at this time and to whom could readily be attributed foreknowledge that a Catholic would be king of England. Alternatively, the lyrics could mean, "Lilly is clear
bout this
Bout can mean:
People
*Viktor Bout, suspected arms dealer
* Jan Everts Bout, early settler to New Netherland
* Marcel Bout
Musical instruments
* The outward-facing round parts of the body shape of violins, guitars, and other stringed instrum ...
the day will be ours".
It is also thought that "Lilli" is a familiar form of William, and that bullero comes from the Irish "Buaill Léir ó", which gives: "William defeated all that remained".
Professor
Breandán Ó Buachalla has claimed that they are a garbled version of the Irish sentence "Leir o, Leir o, leir o, leiro, Lilli bu leir o: bu linn an la, " which he translates as "Manifest, manifest, manifest, manifest, Lilly will be manifest, the day will be ours" referring to a possible prophecy of an Irish victory by the astrologer
William Lilly
William Lilly (9 June 1681) was a seventeenth century English astrologer. He is described as having been a genius at something "that modern mainstream opinion has since decided cannot be done at all" having developed his stature as the most imp ...
.
The Beggar's Opera
Purcell's music provided the tune for the highwayman Macheath's satire on modern society in
John Gay
John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for ''The Beggar's Opera'' (1728), a ballad opera. The characters, including Captain Macheath and Polly Peac ...
's
The Beggar's Opera
''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satiri ...
, which first premiered in 1728, using popular folk tunes for its score. Here, the lyrics are:
The Modes of the Court so common are grown,
That a true Friend can hardly be met;
Friendship for Interest is but a Loan,
Which they let out for what they can get.
'Tis true, you find
Some Friends so kind,
Who will give you good Counsel themselves to defend.
In sorrowful Ditty,
They promise, they pity,
But shift for your Money, from Friend to Friend.
Protestant Boys
One of the best-known
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
of "Lillibullero" is the
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
lyric called "Protestant Boys". The song is played by flute bands accompanying the
Orange Order
The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
during
Orange or band-only parades, which have been the subject of controversy during
the Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...
in Northern Ireland.
There are two versions of "Protestant Boys", both sung to the tune of "Lillibullero". They begin as follows:
:Version 1
:The Protestant Boys are loyal and true
:Stout hearted in battle and stout-handed too
:The Protestant Boys are true to the last
:And faithful and peaceful when danger has passed
:And Oh! they bear and proudly wear
:The colours that floated o'er many a fray
:Where cannon were flashing
:And sabres were clashing
:The Protestant Boys still carried the day.
:Version 2
:Tel me, my friends, why are we met here?
:Why thus assembled, ye Protestant Boys?
:Do mirth and good liquor, good humour, good cheer,
:Call us to share of festivity's joys?
:Oh, no! 'tis the cause,
:Of king – freedom – and laws,
:That calls loyal Protestants now to unite;
:And Orange and Blue,
:Ever faithful and true,
:Our king shall support, and sedition a fright.
Nottingham Ale
"
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
Ale" is an English drinking song sung to the tune of "Lillibullero".
The historian Blackner relates that a person of the name Gunthorpe, who within memory of persons then living
815
__NOTOC__
Year 815 (Roman numerals, DCCCXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* Byzantine–Bulgarian Treaty of 815, Byzantine–Bulgaria ...
kept the PunchBowl public house in Peck Lane Nottingham, sent a barrel of ale of his own brewing as a present to his brother, an officer in the navy, who in return composed this poetic epistle. It appears to have been a popular song around the end of the 18th century and was one which
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...
enjoyed especially when sung by one of the comic singers who frequented one of his haunts in London.
It was sung at the launching ceremony of the ''Nottingham'', an
East Indiaman
East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...
, on March 7, 1787, at the Clevey's yard Gravesend. The ship was 1152 tons and had a crew of 144 and was one of the largest and fastest ever built.
:Fair Venus, the goddess of beauty and love
:Arose from the froth which swam on the sea
:Minerva leapt out of the cranium of Jove
:A coy, sullen slut, as most authors agree
:Bold Bacchus, they tell us, the prince of good fellas
:Was a natural son, pray attend to my tale
:And they that thus chatter, mistake quite the matter
:He sprung from a barrel of Nottingham Ale!
::Nottingham Ale, boys, Nottingham Ale
::No liquor on earth is like Nottingham Ale!
::Nottingham Ale, boys, Nottingham Ale
::No liquor on earth like Nottingham Ale!
:And having survey'd well the cask whence he sprung
:For want of more liquor, low spirited grew
:He mounted astride to the jolly cask clung
:And away to the gods and the goddess flew
:But when he look'd down and saw the fair town
:To pay it due honours, not likely to fail
:He swore that on earth 'twas the town of his birth
:And the best – and no liquor like Nottingham ale
:Ye bishops and deacons, priests, curates and vicars
:When once you have tasted, you'll own it is true
:That Nottingham Ale, it's the best of all liquors
:And who understands the good creature like you
:It expels every vapour, saves pen, ink and paper
:And when you're disposed from the pulpit to rail
:T'will open your throats, you may preach without notes
:When inspired with a bumper of Nottingham Ale
:Ye doctors who more execution have done
:With powder and bolus, with potion and pill
:Than hangman with halter, or soldier with gun
:Than miser with famine, a lawyer with quill
:To dispatch us the quicker, you forbid us malt liquor
:Till our bodies consume and our faces grow pale
:But mind it what pleases and cures all diseases
:Is a comfortable dose of good Nottingham Ale
:Ye poets, who brag of the Helicon brook
:The nectar of gods, and the juice of the vine
:You say none can write well, except they invoke
:The friendly assistance of one of the nine
:Hers liquor surpasses the stream of Parnassus
:The nectar Ambrosia, on which gods regale
:Experience will show it, nought makes a good poet
:Like
quantum sufficit of Nottingham ale
Overtures from Richmond
Yet another set of lyrics set to the tune at the time of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
is attributed to the ballad scholar
Francis J. Child, born in Boston in 1825. It is a satire on
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
and the
Confederacy, and perhaps refers to the
Hampton Roads Conference
The Hampton Roads Conference was a peace conference held between the United States and representatives of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States on February 3, 1865, aboard the steamboat ''River Queen'' in Hampton Roads, Virginia, to discus ...
.
:"Well, Uncle Sam," says Jefferson D.,
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"You'll have to join my Confed'racy,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, that don't appear-o,
:That don't appear," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:That don't appear," says old Uncle Sam.
:"So, Uncle Sam, just lay down your arms,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"Then you shall hear my reas'nable terms,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, I'd like to hear-o
:I'd like to hear," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:I'd like to hear," says old Uncle Sam.
:"First you must own I've beat you in a fight,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"then that I always have been in the right,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, rather severe-o,
:rather severe," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:Rather severe," says old Uncle Sam.
:"Then you must pay my national debts,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"No questions asked about my assets,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, that's very dear-o,
:That's very dear," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:That's very dear," says old Uncle Sam.
:"Also some few IOUs and bets,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"Mine, and
Bob Toombs', and
Sidell's and
Rhett's,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, that leaves me zero,
:That leaves me zero," says Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:That leaves me zero," says Uncle Sam.
:"And by the way, one little thing more,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"You're to refund the costs of the war,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, just what I fear-o,
:Just what I fear," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:Just what I fear," says old Uncle Sam.
:"Next you must own our Cavalier blood!"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"And that your Puritans sprang from the mud!"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, that mud is clear-o,
:That mud is clear," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:That mud is clear," says old Uncle Sam.
:"Slavery's, of course, the chief
corner-stone,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"Of our new civilisation!"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, that's quite sincere-o,
:That's quite sincere," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:That's quite sincere," says old Uncle Sam.
:"You'll understand, my recreant tool,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"You're to submit, and we are to rule,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, aren't you a hero!
:Aren't you a hero," says Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:Aren't you a hero," says Uncle Sam.
:"If to these terms you fully consent,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam,
:"I'll be perpetual King-President,"
:Lilliburlero, old Uncle Sam.
:"Lero, lero, take your sombrero,
:Off to your swamps," says old Uncle Sam,
:"Lero, lero, filibustero,
:Cut, double quick!" says old Uncle Sam.
The Farmer's Curst Wife
In recent times, the melody and refrain of ''Lillibullero'' are frequently paired with lyrics from the ballad ''
The Farmer's Curst Wife
The Farmer's Curst Wife is a traditional English language folk song listed as Child ballad number 278 and number 160 in the Roud Folk Song Index.
The lyrics of the ballad are sometimes sung to the melody of the song '' Lillibullero''.
Robert B ...
''. The lyrics tell the story of a ploughman's wife who is taken away to Hell by the Devil, but is subsequently returned to Earth due to her violent acts against demons.
Lyrics from "The Farmer's Curst Wife" were used in the version of "Lillibullero" recorded by
Bellowhead
Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical style ...
in their 2012 album
''Broadside'', and in the version recorded by the band
The City Waites in their 1976 self-titled album.
There Was An Old Woman
The 19th-century nursery rhyme "There Was An Old Woman Tossed Up in a Basket", published in the collection ''
Mother Goose
The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...
'' has also been sung to this tune.
In popular culture
Broadcasting
"Lillibullero" was adopted by the
British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
's
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
programme ''Into Battle'' and became the unofficial march of the
Commandos
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
of the British Army. Since its association with the BBC's role in the war, various recordings of "Lillibullero" have been played by the BBC as an
interval signal
An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most comm ...
. These include a
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
and a
symphony orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
.
David Cox arranged the version used for over 30 years.
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
br>Obituary: David Cox
Graham Melville-Mason Friday 4 April 1997 During the 1970s a rousing recording by the band of HM
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
used just before the
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...
News on the hour was replaced by a weaker and quieter version by a brass ensemble, on the grounds that the band record had worn out. However, the Marines version was later reinstated. The most recent recording, written by
David Arnold
David Arnold (born 23 January 1962) is a British film composer whose credits include scoring five James Bond films, as well as ''Stargate'' (1994), '' Independence Day'' (1996), ''Godzilla'' (1998) and the television series '' Little Britain'' ...
and performed by a string orchestra, was until recently played on the World Service several times a day. A shortened version is currently sometimes played just before each hour before the news.
[
A well-regarded argument for the persistence of Lillibullero as a signature tune of the BBC World Service was that its powerful and simple structure was an effective means of identifying the broadcaster. The engineers who selected it were unaware of its origins, though a BBC World Service history states that the choice of interval theme at the time was that of "the transmission engineers who found it particularly audible through short wave mush, and anyway ]he BBC
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
knew it as a tune for the old English song 'There was an old woman tossed up in a blanket, 20 times as high as the moon'. Another likely reason for the particular choice of this tune during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
is that its beginning bars sound the 'Victory V
Victory V is a British brand of liquorice-flavoured cough medicine, lozenges. Originally manufactured in Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, Lancashire, they were devised by Thomas Fryer and Edward Smith MD in 1864 and were initially made by hand to en ...
' rhythm (dit dit dit dah, repeated) i.e. the letter V in Morse code, which was used in various forms by the BBC in its home and foreign services."
The recently initiated BBC Persian TV service makes use of a re-mixed version of Lillibullero as the title theme for its music programmes. Both the music magazine and music documentaries have cuts of the tune with Persian instrumental influence. It was also used for the BBC World Service Television
BBC World Service Television, often abbreviated to WSTV (World Service Television), was the name of two BBC international satellite television channels between 1991 and 1995. It was the BBC's first foray into worldwide television broadcasting. In ...
service broadcast in Europe and Asia during the early 1990s.
Military
Lillibullero is the (official) Regimental March of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers".
History
Prior to REME's for ...
(abbrev. REME). This Corps was established during the Second World War and so the BBC's official wartime use of Lillibullero described above may well have played a part in its selection by REME, but it seems more likely that the BBC's reliance on REME for its wartime development and coverage led to the BBC adopting the march about that time as a signature tune (as mentioned previously). This is borne out by the fact that the melody had long been in use in military music, and that the foundation of REME is inextricably associated with many of those regiments.
Lillibullero is also the official March of the Corps of Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (abbrev. RAEME) together with "Boys in the Backroom".
Fiction
Laurence Sterne
Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768), was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric who wrote the novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' and ''A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'', published ...
's experimental and comic novel ''Tristram Shandy Tristram may refer to:
Literature
* the title character of ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'', a novel by Laurence Sterne
* the title character of ''Tristram of Lyonesse'', an epic poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne
*"Tristra ...
'', prints the score to "Lillibullero" at the end of Chapter 17 in Book 9 after Tristram's uncle, Captain Toby Shandy, whistles the tune. A British Army veteran of the fighting in Ireland and the Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
during King William's reign, Toby whistles "Lillibullero" when he is offered any opinion or argument which would require passionate rebuttal or which he finds embarrassing or upsetting.
In Sir Walter Scott's novel ''Waverley Waverley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott
** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel
* Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...
'', the highland Chieftain Fergus Mac-Ivor sings a verse of "Lillibulero" during a dinner before he and his comrades prepare for battle on the side of the Pretender.
One of the scoundrels in Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
's ''Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
'' (Chapter XVI) whistles the tune, whose title is mentioned four times.
One of 's principal characters of ''The Life of the World to Come
''The Life of the World to Come'' (2004) is a science fiction novel by American writer Kage Baker, the fifth installment in the time travel series concerning the exploits of The Company.
Plot introduction
This novel is another chapter in the di ...
'', Alec, loves this tune and it is referenced by him several times. This is likely connected to his well-known love for Robert Louis Stevenson's ''Treasure Island''.
Neal Stephenson
Neal Town Stephenson (born October 31, 1959) is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction. His novels have been categorized as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, postcyberpunk, and baroque.
Stephenson's work exp ...
's ''Baroque Cycle
''The Baroque Cycle'' is a series of novels by American writer Neal Stephenson. It was published in three volumes containing eight books in 2003 and 2004. The story follows the adventures of a sizable cast of characters living amidst some of th ...
'' also makes mention of Lillibulero's use as anti-Catholic propaganda.
In the movie ''Barry Lyndon
''Barry Lyndon'' is a 1975 period drama film written, directed, and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on the 1844 novel ''The Luck of Barry Lyndon'' by William Makepeace Thackeray. Starring Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leonard ...
'' (1975) Lillibullero is heard near the start as Barry's regiment assembles at Swords Castle to embark for the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
.
The tune is used in ''The Last Man Out
''The Last Man Out'' is a British television drama series written, produced and directed by Shaun Sutton. The six-part black and white series was first aired on BBC One in 1962. All six episodes were later Lost television broadcast#Wiping, wiped, ...
'' and ''Raid on Rommel
''Raid on Rommel'' is an American B movie in Technicolor from 1971, directed by Henry Hathaway and set in North Africa during the Second World War. It stars Richard Burton as a British commando attempting to destroy German gun emplacements in Tob ...
''. The tune is also used during the title credits in the period adventure ''East of Sudan
''East of Sudan'' is a 1964 British adventure film directed by Nathan Juran and featuring Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms and Derek Fowlds.
The storyline is spliced with various sections of African wildlife. Much of this stock footage makes no sens ...
'' (1964).
In Frederick Forsyth
Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...
's novel ''The Afghan'', one of the protagonists, Terry Martin, has Lillibullero as his ringtone on his mobile phone.
In the ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' story "Mawdryn Undead
''Mawdryn Undead'' is the third serial of the 20th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts on BBC1 from 1 to 9 February 1983.
The serial is set in an Engl ...
", the theme can be heard coming from the Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
of 1977's radio.
Music
Henry Purcell subsequently arranged the melody for a keyboard piece titled "A New Irish Tune". The composition was a contribution to a method book for virginals
The virginals (or virginal) is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods.
Description
A virginal is a smaller and simpler rectangular or polygonal form of ...
and harpsichord
A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
s called ''Musick's Hand-Maid''. "A New Irish Tune" was included in the Second Part of ''Musick's Hand-Maid'', published by Henry Playford
Henry Playford (1657 – c. 1707) was an English music publisher, the younger son and only known surviving child of John Playford, with whom he entered business.
His father died around 1686, but for some time before that he was in poor health.
Hen ...
.[Playford, Henry. ''The Second Part of Musick's Hand-Maid''. 1689.]
A French version is known as the ''Marche du Prince d'Orange'', and is attributed to Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
's court composers Philidor the Elder and Jean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas, he ...
.
The basic melody of "Lillibulero" appears to have been adapted by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
for the theme of the first movement of his Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 (1783). Since then, other composers have written variations on the Mozartean theme in which the relationship to Lillibulero is made even clearer, for example, Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...
's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart
The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 132, is a set of variations for orchestra composed in 1914 by Max Reger; the composer conducted the premiere in Berlin on 5 February 1915. He later produced a version for two pianos, Op. 132a, wh ...
, Op. 132 (1914).
Michael Longcor
Michael Longcor is a folk and filk singer. His songs span a range of topics including military history, Indiana history, and humor. He has won six Pegasus Awards and has been nominated for six others. His music has appeared on Dr. Demento and ...
adapted "Lillibullero" as a setting for Rudyard Kipling's poem "Brown Bess" on his album, ''Norman and Saxon''.
References
External links
"Lilliburlero"
sung by John Goss and the Cathedral Male Voice Quartet
"Lilliburlero"
performed by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force
The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is an RAF regular band and is part of Royal Air Force Music Services. The motto of the band is ''Aere Invicti'' (Latin for "Invincible with the Brass").
History
The Central Band of the RAF was formed in ...
* BBC World Service interval signal
An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most comm ...
featuring "Lillibulero"
wav
* Complete lyrics t
with MIDI file
*
*Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) (french: links=no, Corps du génie électrique et mécanique royal canadien) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CF) that provides army engineering maintenance ...
{{authority control
Compositions by Henry Purcell
Ballads
Irish songs
British military marches
Orange Order
Anti-Catholicism in Ireland
Irish words and phrases
BBC World Service
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers