Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia

Subject: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Feb 00 - 09:42 AM

I am looking for the Lyrics to The War-Like Lads of Russia. If anyone can lead me in the right direction let me know please.

Tim, [e-mail]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 29 Feb 00 - 05:40 PM

I haven't checked the following words against my Black Family's recording, but here they are, one version at any rate:

THE WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA
(Trad)

Chorus:
Those warlike lads of Russia they fought all in one mind
Made Bonaparte to run and leave his troops behind

When Napoleon Bonaparte to Moscow he went
With all his troops and all his men their minds were fully bent
To take the Russian country they were full employed
But the Russians fought against them and soon did them destroy

In a little while the Russians did attack
Against Bonaparte and all his men, they fought him and they drove him back
The action being so hot right and left and front and rear
A damn you all says Bonaparte I'll stay no longer here

Away then went poor Bonaparte as fast as he could run
The poor Frenchmen looked after him, left horses men and guns
His boxes and his matches, ammunition wagons too
He left them all behind them, what could poor Boney do

Away then went poor Bonaparte as fast as he could ride
The poor Frenchmen looked after him, saying oh it's very hard
To think he'd lead us all up here and leave us to our fate
You'd think he'd stop along with us and help us in our state

Here's 80,000 men from them they've killed and they have taken
Likewise 10,000 horses and 200 bits of cannon
Nevermore to Lyon, Paris or French Flanders there advance
For if I do I may be sure they'll teach me how to dance

Now it's to conclude and thus finish off my song
Old Boney's men and Russia wish they had a hold of him
The cruellest death they'd put him to that e'er a man befell
Oh damn you all says Bonaparte I'm clear of you all

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: lamarca
Date: 29 Feb 00 - 09:35 PM

The Black family learned it from Nic Jones - a recording of him singing it appeared on the Fellside compilation, Flash Company!, a benefit album for Nic.

Does anyone know from where Nic collected or found it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: hrodelbert
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 01:01 AM

Could be 'Show of Hands' who do a great version on their cd called 'show of hands' includes words and chords as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: lamarca
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 11:44 AM

I'm bringing this one up again - anyone know where Nic Jones might have found this? Are there any printed sources?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: Tim Salt
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 05:27 PM

lamarca

Steve Turner did the Nic Jones version on his album "Braiding" in 1986. The sleeve notes say that Nic Jones put the tune to a "lyrical broadside" sold for pennies during the Napoleonic wars.

Tim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Dec 00 - 09:29 PM

So far as I can tell, all recorded versions of "Warlike Lads of Russia" derive from the Nic Jones set, though it has occasionally been recorded by people who assumed that the whole thing was traditional Irish, presumably because they hadn't taken the trouble to do a little basic research.  I can't place the tune that Jones set the text to, though it has some superficial resemblance to the "A" part of "Off to California".

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: GUEST,Dita
Date: 27 Dec 00 - 10:57 AM

Nic Jones origonaly recorded this in the seventies, for an album for Fred Wood's magazine "Folk Routes. " It was on one of two albums that were given away free to new subscribers. As I was already subscribing I never got the album. If you can find anyone with a copy of the album perhaps Nic gave details of his source on the sleeve.
love, john.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From:
Date: 27 Dec 00 - 04:08 PM

I love this tune. Would anyone here be able to supply the chords to it? Thanks a million!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 10:14 AM

i am working on the chords for this song. it's tough to recapture nic jones's percussive style with the lower tunings but i am going to give it a go. he is a real champ. indeed, i worked for years on canadaio of his and eventually gave up!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: JennyO
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 12:48 PM

A Sydney group, The Wheeze and Suck Band, does this. If you go to their website, they have an MP3 of it, on their new album, Vincent Street. Not the whole song, but an intro, 1 verse and a chorus.

www.wheezeandsuck.com/

Jenny

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 03:56 PM

You can hear Nic sing it on his Unearthed CD set. Available at CAMSCO, of course. 800/548-FOLK (3655)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: Ralphie
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 07:07 PM

Jolly good it is too !!
Regards Ralphie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The War-Like Lads of Russia
From: Orac
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 04:11 AM

Canadee-i-o was performed by Nic Jones in C modal C G C G C D but I don't know what tuning he used for the War like lads of Russia. According to Mike Raven he (Nic) only plays in standard tuning nowadays.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: mutineer
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 02:31 AM

hey there...
is the chorus "one mind" or "one line"...I thought it might have been one line referring to the Russian fighting techniques...
i dunno???

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: Les from Hull
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 09:47 AM

One mind.

Linear Napoleonic infantry tactics relied on fighting in three ranks (or two if you were British). By the time of Borodino most troops were not sufficiently well trained to fight in line, and fighting in column of attack was much more common.

Besides it rhymes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: mack/misophist
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 09:19 PM

I'm certain the Black Family version says 'one line'. It makes more sense.

For those who enjoy this kind of thing, Napoleon's migrains may have been the reason the Russian campaign was such a disaster. He was a life long sufferer of severe migrains. During a migrain, blood vessels in the brain swell and, after years of this, some mental deterioration often occurs. In preparing for Russia and in reaching Russia, there were a number of standard logistic precautions Napoleon failed to take; ie, field hospitals that did it, protected supply lines, supply dumps, ammo dumps and such. France suffered greatly for this. Some historians think it was migrain dementia that did it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 26 Jun 03 - 09:57 PM

The broadside source has "mind". The Black family are fine singers, but their arrangement of Nic's setting (they learned a lot of songs from him or from his records) wasn't necessarily entirely accurate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 27 Jun 03 - 06:25 AM

Compare the rhymes: Line - behind vs. mind - behind, and the answer is clear.
During the french attack the Russians mostly retreated, luring them into Moscow. When it was burnt, the French had no means of housing and feeding their troops and had to retreat for themselves. During their retreat no pitched battles were fought; the Russians fought in the partisan way, by a steady harrassing the French rear, flanks, and stragglers. So "in one line" seems a little far fetched.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: mutineer
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 02:32 AM

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: masato sakurai
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 03:43 AM

According to folktrax, it was published as a Harkness broadsaide:

WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA, THE - Harkness Bs -- Nic JONES: FOLKSOUND FS-100 1974

The edition has not been found at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: CET
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:34 AM

I fell in love with this song when I heard it sung by a Canadian group, Heartwood, at Summerfolk, in Owen Sound, Ontario. Heartwood recorded it on their self-titled CD, HWCD-2000.

Fergus O'Byrne also recorded it as a guest artist on a CD by a Newfoundland rock group called Gearbox, "Songs for the Masses", APD-008. The rest of the CD is basic rock, but Fergus' version is great.

CET

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: Lil Dog Turpy
Date: 30 Apr 04 - 08:33 AM

A version of this song on one of the Nic Jones retrospective compilation CD's has an extra verse which would be between verse one and two above:

When from Moscovee city the Russians did retreat
Neither Boneparte nor all his men not anything could get
When from Moscovee city the Russians took their flight
They set the town on fire and they burned it down that night.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: TS
Date: 30 Apr 04 - 03:24 PM

I think it's "fought all in one Mind"...thats how I always sing it anyway..haha.....>Slainte!

Subject: Lyr Add: WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA (from Heartwood)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 May 04 - 02:22 PM

This is the version sung by a band called Heartwood, from their eponymous album. Their website doesn't identify their source.
Copied from http://www.sentex.net/~charlesc/lyrics.html#warlikelads

THE WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA
(Trad.)

It's when Napoleon Bonaparte to Moscow he went,
To take the Russian country his mind was fully bent.
To take the Russian country his men were full employed,
But those Russians fought so valiantly that Boney they destroyed.

CHORUS: Those warlike lads of Russia, they fought all in one mind,
Made Bonaparte to run and leave his troops behind.
Those warlike lads of Russia, they fought all in one mind,
Made Bonaparte to run and leave his troops behind.

Those Russian lads fought bravely and they drove Napoleon back.
That bold Napoleon Bonaparte, he soon was sent to pack.
The fighting being so fierce, left and right and front and rear,
"Oh, damn you all!" says Bonaparte. "I'll stay no longer here."

Away then went poor Bonaparte, as fast as he could run.
His armies were surrounded, all his horses men and guns.
His wagons and his cannons and his ammunition too.
He left them all behind him. Oh, what could poor Boney do?

And on then went poor Bonaparte, as fast as he could ride.
The Frenchmen all looked after him, saying, "Oh, it hurts our pride
To think he'd lead us up here and then part in such a haste.
We never thought we'd see the day when we were so disgraced."

Says Boney, "Well, it's of my troops there's eighty thousand taken,
Ten thousand of my horses and two hundred of my cannon.
No more among these Russian lads will I dare make advance,
For if I do, I may be sure they'll teach me how to dance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 02 May 04 - 02:58 PM

Listen to Nic's version. You should have it already - shouldn't you!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 02 May 04 - 03:33 PM

Nic Jones writes in the notes to Unearthed how broadsides gave him freedom to compose around the text.. He had discovered a fragment described on the broadsheet as 'A new song - Buonaparte's escape from Russia' to which he added extra words, wrote a tune and called it 'The Warlike Lads of Russia'. This first appeared, as already mentioned, on a Folk Review compilation available only to new subscribers.

As Malcolm has pointed out, all subsequent recordings derive from Nic's version and ought, therefore, to be accredited at the very least as 'trad arr Nic Jones'.

Subject: Lyr Add: BONAPARTE'S ESCAPE FROM RUSSIA
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 03 May 04 - 10:18 PM

I transcribed this from the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, Harding B 25(246). Parts of this broadside are illegible, but I was able to make a reasonable guess at the words by comparing it to the lyrics Suzanne posted above. Corrections are welcome.

BONAPARTE'S ESCAPE FROM RUSSIA
A NEW SONG.

When Bonaparte from Russia into Moscow went,
With his troops in full glee, and their minds fully bent
To take the Russian country, O, they were full employ'd,
But Russians fought against them and soon they were destroy'd.

CHORUS: The warlike lads of Russia, they fought all in one mind;
Made Bonaparte to run and leave his troops behind.

When from Moscow City the Russians did retreat,
Neither Boney nor his men not any thing could get.
When from Moscow City the Russians took flight,
They set the town on fire and burnt it down that night. CHORUS

Burnt all away before them, and every foot they set,
Lest Boney near his army no shelter could they get.
Damn it, says bold Russia, I'll have you in a crack.
I'll make you remember this before you do get back. CHORUS

So in a little while, O, the Russians did attack,
Against Boney and his army, kill'd, took, and drove 'em back.
But the action being so hot, from right, left, front, and rear,
O damn it, says poor Boney, I'll stay no longer here. CHORUS

So off went Bonaparte as hard as he could ride.
The poor Frenchmen looked after him, saying, 'tis very hard
You should bring us all up here, and leave us in such a state.
You ought to stop along with us and share the same fate. CHORUS

But away went Boney as hard as he could run,
O'er hedges and ditches; left horses, men, and guns.
His boxes and matches, ammunition and waggons too,
He left them all behind him. What else could he do? CHORUS

There full 80,000 men from me they've kill'd or ta'en,
Besides 10,000 horses fine and 200 pieces of cannon;
But yet I must to Paris. To France I must advance,
For if I don't, I may be sure they'll teach me how to dance. CHORUS

Now to conclude this wondrous tale and finish my song,
Boney's men in Russia swore they wish they'd hold of him.
The cruelest death they'd put him to that e'er a man befell.
Stop, stop a bit, says Boney. I'm now clear of you all. CHORUS

Subject: Lyr Add: WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA (from Nic Jones)
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 05:10 AM

Couldn't find this version, so I made what I hope is a reasonable transcription of one of Nic Jones's versions.
How many of his are there actualy?
The Black Family seem to have lots and lots of mondegreens.
Anyway:

            THE WARLIKE LADS OF RUSSIA
             (Trad. Arr. Jones)

When Bonaparte from Poland into Muscovy went,
With all his troops and all his men, their minds were fully bent
For to take the Russian country, Oh, they were full employ'd,
But the Russians fought against them and they soon did them destroy.

CHORUS:
Oh, the warlike lads of Russia, they fought all in one mind;
Made Bonaparte to run and leave his troops behind.

Now when from Muscovy City, Oh, the Russians did retreat,
Neither Bonaparte nor all his men not any thing could get.
When from Muscovy City, Oh, the Russians took their flight,
They set the town on fire and they burnt it down that night.

CHORUS

Now in a little while, Oh the Russians did attack,
Against Bonaparte and all his men, they kill'd and took and drove 'em
back.
But the action being so hot, from right and left and front and rear,
Oh, damn you, says poor Bonaparte, I'll stay no longer here.

CHORUS

And away then went poor Bonaparte as fast as he could ride.
And the poor Frenchmen looked after him, saying, Oh it's very hard
But to think you'd lead us all up here, and leave us to our fate.
Oh, you ought to stop along with us and help us in our state.

CHORUS

And away then went poor Bonaparte as fast as he could run,
Over hedges and o'er ditches; he left horses, men, and guns.
His boxes and his matches, ammunition waggons too,
He left them all behind him. What else could poor Boney do?

CHORUS

Says he 80,000 men from me they've kill'd and they've taken,
Besides 10,000 horses fine and 200 pieces of cannon;
But never more to Paris or French land I dare advance,
For if I do, I may be sure they'll teach me how to dance.

CHORUS

So it's to conclude and thus to try and finish off my song,
Oh, Boney's men in Russia swear they wish they'd hold of him.
And the cruelest death they'd put him to that e'er a man befell.
Oh, curse you says poor Bonaparte. I'm clear of you all.

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Warlike Lads of Russia
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 26 Dec 05 - 06:51 PM

Not sure if this is exactly the place to post this, but it seems the Russian Lads had help:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002703312_lice25.html


Study: Lice put bite on Napoleon in Russia

By Thomas H. Maugh II

Los Angeles Times

Louse-borne diseases such as typhus and trench fever devastated Napoleon Bonaparte's army during his ill-fated invasion of Russia in 1812, killing nearly one-third of his army, according to a study by French researchers.


Napoleon invaded Russia with 500,000 men that summer but escaped with only a few thousand. Twenty-five thousand French soldiers escaped to Vilnius, Lithuania, during the retreat, but only 3,000 of them survived. The rest were buried in mass graves.

More info at the link for those who would find it interesting.