"The Bonny Bunch of Roses" (

Roud The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud (born 1949), a former librarian in the London ...

664, Laws J5) is a folk song written in the 1830s by an unknown balladeer from the British Isles, perhaps with Irish sympathies. The earliest known version of the tune is in William Christie's ''Tradition Ballad Airs, Volume 2'' (1881), but there is another tune, of Irish origin. There is an obvious difficulty in identifying the narrator's voice. It is a conversation between Napoleon's son (Napoleon II, 1811-1832, named King of Rome by his father upon birth) and his mother (

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma Marie Louise (12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was an Austrian archduchess who reigned as Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French and Queen of Italy from their ...

, Napoleon's second wife, whom he married after divorcing Josephine). The sentiment is sympathetic to Napoleon but is also patriotic. Napoleon was defeated because he failed to beware of the 'bonny bunch of roses' - England, Scotland and Ireland whose unity cannot be broken.

Historical context

The Irish, who were themselves in an unequal union with Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries, were divided in their attitudes towards

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

. Many thousands of Irishmen served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

during the Napoleonic Wars in both English and Scottish regiments and in Irish ones like the

Connaught Rangers The Connaught Rangers ("The Devil's Own") was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed by the amalgamation of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) (which formed the ''1st Battalion'') and the 94th Regiment of Foot (w ...

and the Inniskilling Dragoons for example, many of them giving their lives in the struggle against Napoleon and displaying much valour in the process. However, at the same time, Napoleon knew that among certain people there was some bitterness towards

British rule in Ireland British rule in Ireland spanned several centuries and involved British control of parts, or entirety, of the island of Ireland. British involvement in Ireland began with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. Most of Ireland gained indepe ...

, much as there was towards French rule in his native Corsica, as he well knew. Thus he decided to emulate the British in their support of Corsican rebels against

Revolutionary France The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

by supporting an heroic but ultimately doomed Irish rebellion, inspired by the egalitarian principles of the Enlightenment, which has come to be known as the 1798. With this in mind, it should perhaps come as no great surprise then if Napoleon's bravery captivated the imagination of a segment of the Irish population, nor his defiance even in defeat.

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform ...

and their sympathisers it can perhaps be deduced also adored the tragic story of the romance between the doomed emperor and his second wife, Marie Louise, which would explain why her words tell the story of Bonaparte's fall. On the other hand, the song stresses the unity of the English, Scots and Irish, suggesting acknowledgement of a common British identity in opposition to France and Napoleon among the soldiers from those three nations at the time.

Field recordings

The song was recorded from many traditional singers, mostly in the 1950s and 60s, and particularly in England, Ireland and Canada. Below is a brief selection: *

Harry Cox Harry Fred Cox (27 March 1885 – 6 May 1971), was a Norfolk farmworker and one of the most important singers of traditional English music of the twentieth century, on account of his large repertoire and fine singing style. His music inspired ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

, England, whose recording can be heard onlin
here
* Sam Larner of Norfolk, England * Fred Jordan of Shropshire, England * Phil Tanner of Llangenith,

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

* Robert Cinnamond of

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

, Northern Ireland

Popular recordings

There are many recorded versions, including

the Chieftains The Chieftains are a traditional Irish folk band formed in Dublin in 1962, by Paddy Moloney, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy. Their sound, which is almost entirely instrumental and largely built around uilleann pipes, has become synonymou ...

(with

Dolores Keane Dolores Keane (born 26 September 1953) is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the group De Dannan and has since embarked on a solo career. Background Keane was born in a small village called Sylane (near ...

as the singer),

De Dannan De Dannan (originally ''Dé Danann'') is an Irish folk music group. It was formed 1975 by Frankie Gavin ( fiddle), Alec Finn (guitar, bouzouki), Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh (bodhrán) and Charlie Piggott (banjo) as a result of sessions in Hughe ...

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

Ewan MacColl James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist and actor. Born in England to Scottish parents, he is known as one of the ...

, Cyril Poacher,

Séamus Ennis Séamus Ennis ( ga, Séamas Mac Aonghusa; 5 May 1919 – 5 October 1982) was an Irish musician, singer and Irish music collector. He was most noted for his uilleann pipe playing and was partly responsible for the revival of the instrument du ...

Nic Jones Nic Jones (born Nicolas Paul Jones; 9 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Regarded as a prominent figure of the British folk revival, he has recorded five solo albums and collaborated with various musicians. Biograph ...

, Séan Garvey,

Maddy Prior Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police dra ...

and

June Tabor June Tabor (born 31 December 1947 in Warwick, England) is an English folk singer known for her solo work and her earlier collaborations with Maddy Prior and with Oysterband. Early life June Tabor was born and grew up in Warwick, England. ...

in collaboration with the

Oysterband Oysterband (originally The Oyster Band) is a British folk rock and folk punk band formed in Canterbury around 1976. History Early history The band formed in parallel to Fiddler's Dram, and under the name "Oyster Ceilidh Band" played purely as ...

John Wesley Harding ''John Wesley Harding'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on December 27, 1967, by Columbia Records. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album marked Dylan's return to semi-acoustic instrumentation and fol ...

, and Norman & Nancy Blake in collaboration with the Boys of the Lough. Bob Dylan featured Paul Clayton's version on his Theme Time Radio Hour.

Lyrics

The lyrics below are from 1881.Folkinfo page, with musical notation
:Near by the swelling ocean, :One morning in the month of June, :While feather'd warbling songsters :Their charming notes did sweetly tune, :I overheard a lady :Lamenting in sad grief and woe, :And talking with young Bonaparte :Concerning the bonny Bunch of Roses, O. :Thus spake the young Napoleon, :And grasp'd his mother by the hand:- :"Oh, mother dear have patience, :Till I am able to command; :I'll raise a numerous army, :And through tremendous dangers go, :And in spite of all the universe, :I'll gain the bonny Bunch of Roses, O." :Oh, son, speak not so venturesome; :For England is the heart of oak; :Of England, Scotland, and Ireland, :The unity can ne'er be broke. :And think you on your father, :In the Island where he now lies low, :He is not yet interred in France; :So beware of the bonny Bunch of Roses, O. :Your father raised great armies, :And likewise kings did join the throng; :He was so well provided. :Enough to sweep the world along. :But when he went to Moscow, :He was o'erpower'd by drifting snow; :And though Moscow was blazing :He lost the bonny Bunch of Roses, O. :"Oh, mother, adieu for ever, :I am now on my dying bed, :If I had liv'd I'd have been brave :But now I droop my youthful head. :And when our bones do moulder, :And weeping-willows o'er us grow, :Its deeds to bold Napoleon :Will stain the bonny Bunch of Roses, O."

References

External links

(alternate lyrics) *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonny Bunch Of Roses Folk ballads British folk songs Songs about Napoleon Songs about the United Kingdom Songs about Ireland Napoleonic Wars in popular culture