Digital Tradition Mirror

The South Down Militia

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The South Down Militia

cho: You may talk about your King's Guards, Scots Greys and a'
     You may sing about your Kilties and your gallant Forty Twa
     Or any other regiment under the King's command
     But the South Down Militia is the terror of the land.

There's Russians and there's Prussians and brave Italians too
There's Greeks and Ancient Romans, not forgetting the Zulu
But from Greenland's icy mountains to India's coral strand
The South Down Militia is the terror of the land.

You've heard of Julius Caesar and of great Napoleon too
And other famous hairymen that fought at Waterloo;
But if you read your history, you'll quickly understand
The South Down Militia is the terror of the land.

And when we marched through London in the year of brave '14
The gracious King reviewed us, and so did the gracious Queen;
"Och, bloody war!" says the Queen and waves her lily hand,
"The South Down Militia is the terror of the land."

When the Kaiser heard the regimentv had landed down in France,
In wild despair he tore his hair --- "We haven't an effing chance."
For when the Germans saw us coming, they threw down their guns and ran,
For the South Down Militia is the terror of the land.

It was at the Royal Jubilee in the year of seventy-two,
The Queen and the Royal Prince was there, insprcting the Great Tattoo;
"Hey! Major Wallace!" says the Queen, "Them boys of yours looks grand!"
"Och, hold your tongue!" says Wallace, "They're the terror of the land!"

When Kruger heard the regiment had landed at Capetown,
"I regret," says he, "we're bate," says he, "we may throw our rifles down."
There is only the one conclusion: we'd better quit the Rand
For the South Down Militia is the terror of the land.

From Songs of Belfast, Hammond
Note: The South Down Militia was formed in 1800 from an older regiment
which had taken part in the suppression of the '98 rebellion at Wexford.
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!