Alastair McDonald - Son O' Mars

Son O' Mars by Alastair McDonald, from the album "Battles and Ballads of Scotland".
"Son of Mars" is a song originally written by Robert Burns to the tune of "Soldier's Joy". It references events during the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War: the death of James Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, the Siege of Morro at the Battle of Havana in 1762, and the actions of Roger Curtis at Great Siege of Gibraltar in 1782.
Lyrics
I am a son of Mars who has been in many wars
And I show my cuts and scars whaure're I come:
This one here was for a wench, and that other in a trench
When welcoming the French at the sound o' a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
When welcoming the French at the sound o' a drum
My prenticeship I past where my leader breathed his last
When the bloody die was cast on the heights of Abram
I served out my trade when the gallant game was played
And the Morro low was laid at the sound o' a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
The Morro low was laid at the sound o' a drum
I lastly was with Curtis among the floating batt'ries,
And there I left for witness an arm and a limb
Yet let my country need me, with Elliot to lead me
I'd clatter on my stumps at the sound o' a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
I'd clatter on my stumps at the sound o' a drum
And now, though I must beg, with a wooden arm and leg
And many a tattered rag hanging o'er my bum
I'm as happy with my wallet, my bottle and my callet
As when I used in scarlet tae follow a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
As when I used in scarlet tae follow a drum
What though, wi' hoary locks, I must stand the winter shocks
Beneath the woods and rocks, oftentimes for a home?
When the tother bag I sell and the tother bottle tell
I could meet a troop of Hell at the sound o' a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
I'd meet a troop of Hell at the sound o' a drum
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day
Lal de daul de diddle da
Lal de daul de diddle day

[@TheVinceLyons]

Warrior's anthem

[@johannmarlowe]

Love this song, just as I love so many of the songs posted here by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Can't help but being struck, however, by the irony of having a song (and painting) about James Wolfe featured here, on a Jacobite You Tube channel. For, as I learned when I recently read a book on the battle of Culloden, Wolfe (who was then, I believe, a major) was one of Cumberland's junior officers in that tragic fight.

[@bonnieprincecharlie774]

The song isn't necessarily a Jacobite one; the singer is expressing his loyalty to the British Army in all their campaigns. He specifically mentions "where my leader breathed his last / when the bloody die was cast on the heights of Abraham", referencing the death of General Wolfe.

[@alangerber7652]

brilliant lyrics and wonderful singing

[@emiliodibenedetto4654]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@benjamingrist6539]

I'm confused. The description says that the song is set to the fiddle tune "Soldier's Joy", but this version sounds nothing like that tune. Not to mention that it would be very difficult to sing the lyrics in each verse set to the fast tempo of "Soldier's Joy".

[@bonnieprincecharlie774]

The book _The Poetical Works and Letters of Robert Burns_ lists "Soldier's Joy" as the original tune for "Son of Mars".