Oh my love has left me wi' bairnies twa
And that's the last o' him I ever saw
He's joined the army and he marched awa'
He took the shillin'
He took the shillin' and he marched awa'
Come laddies come, hear the cannons roar
Tak' the King's shilling an' we're off tae war
Oh he looked sae prood and sae gallant then
Wi' his kilt and sporran an' his musket gun
And the ladies kissed them as they marched awa'
And they sailed awa' boys
They sailed awa', boys, by the Broomielaw
The pipes they played as they marched along
And the men they sang oot a battle song
"March on, march on," cried our Captain gay
And for King and country
For King and country we will fight this day
The battle echoed tae the sound o' guns
And bayonets flashed in the morning sun
The drums did beat and the cannons roared
And the shillin' didn't seem
The shillin' didn't seem much worth no more
Some lost the battle their bodies fell
Cut doon by bayonets and musket ball
And many o' these brave young men
Would never fight for
Would never fight for their King again
Oh my love has left me wi' bairnies twa
And that's the last o' him I ever saw
He's joined the army and he marched awa'
He took the shillin'
He took the shillin' and he marched awa'
And that's the last o' him I ever saw
He's joined the army and he marched awa'
He took the shillin'
He took the shillin' and he marched awa'
Come laddies come, hear the cannons roar
Tak' the King's shilling an' we're off tae war
Oh he looked sae prood and sae gallant then
Wi' his kilt and sporran an' his musket gun
And the ladies kissed them as they marched awa'
And they sailed awa' boys
They sailed awa', boys, by the Broomielaw
The pipes they played as they marched along
And the men they sang oot a battle song
"March on, march on," cried our Captain gay
And for King and country
For King and country we will fight this day
The battle echoed tae the sound o' guns
And bayonets flashed in the morning sun
The drums did beat and the cannons roared
And the shillin' didn't seem
The shillin' didn't seem much worth no more
Some lost the battle their bodies fell
Cut doon by bayonets and musket ball
And many o' these brave young men
Would never fight for
Would never fight for their King again
Oh my love has left me wi' bairnies twa
And that's the last o' him I ever saw
He's joined the army and he marched awa'
He took the shillin'
He took the shillin' and he marched awa'
Langue: anglais
Versione cantata da Karan Casey e James Taylor
THE KING'S SHILLING
Oh my love has left me with bairnes twa
And that's the last of him I ever saw
He joined the army and marched to war
He took the shilling, he took the shilling and he's off to war
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
Well, did he look as he marched along
With his kilt and sporran and his musket gun?
The ladies tipped him as he marched along
He sailed out by, he sailed out by the Broomielaw
Well the pipes did play as he marched along
And the soldiers sang out a battle song
"March on, march on," cried the captain gay
For king and country, for king and country we will fight today
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
Well the battle rattled to the sound of guns
And the bayonets flashed in the morning sun
The drums did beat and the cannons roared
And the shilling didn't seem, oh the shilling didn't seem much worth the war
Well, the men they fought and the men did fall
Cut down by bayonet and musket ball
Many of these brave young men
Would never fight for, would never fight for the king again
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
die in war...
die in war...
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war...
Oh my love has left me with bairnes twa
And that's the last of him I ever saw
He joined the army and marched to war
He took the shilling, he took the shilling and he's off to war
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
Well, did he look as he marched along
With his kilt and sporran and his musket gun?
The ladies tipped him as he marched along
He sailed out by, he sailed out by the Broomielaw
Well the pipes did play as he marched along
And the soldiers sang out a battle song
"March on, march on," cried the captain gay
For king and country, for king and country we will fight today
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
Well the battle rattled to the sound of guns
And the bayonets flashed in the morning sun
The drums did beat and the cannons roared
And the shilling didn't seem, oh the shilling didn't seem much worth the war
Well, the men they fought and the men did fall
Cut down by bayonet and musket ball
Many of these brave young men
Would never fight for, would never fight for the king again
Come, laddies, come, hear the cannon roar
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war
die in war...
die in war...
Take the king's shilling and you're off to war...
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Uno scellino fu per molto tempo la paga giornaliera del soldato in Gran Bretagna. Ecco perché l'espressione "prendere lo scellino del re" significava arruolarsi come soldato o nella marina.
For many years a soldier's daily pay, before stoppages - was the shilling given as an earnest payment to recruits of the British army and the Royal Navy of the 18th and 19th centuries. The expression "to take the King's shilling" (or the Queen's shilling) meant that a man agreed to serve as a soldier or sailor.
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