Soldiers
of the Queen was written and composed in 1895 by Leslie Stuart. Leslie, born
in Southport, Lancashire, in 1866, was trained as a composer and church
organist. He played the organ in Salford Catholic Cathedral, and in the Church
of the Holy Name, Manchester. Later he was persuaded by a publisher to go to London to compose
popular songs.
He was a prolific and popular composer, and works included Little Dolly
Daydream, Lily of Laguna, and operettas Florodora (1899), and The
Belle of Mayfair (1906).
The song Soldiers of the Queen,
over the decades has been used as an official forces' march.
Last time we heard it in public, was at the Cenotaph in London on a cold November
morning in 2003. A double chorus was played by the massed bands of the combined
armed services, at the march-past of
veterans in honour of those who had died in war. Perhaps it has been adopted as
a regimental march. (Comments from military bandsmen welcome).
Soldiers
of the Queen
(Introduction . . .)
Britons
once did loyally declaim
About the way we rul'd the waves . .
Ev'ry Briton's song was just the same,
When singing of our soldier-braves.
All the world had heard it -
Wonder'd why we sang,
And some have learned the reason why -
But we're forgetting it,
And we're letting it
Fade away and gradually die . .
Fade away and gradually die . . .
So when we say that England's master,
Remember who has made her so -
It's
the Soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been my lads,
Who're seen my lads,
In the fight for England's glory, lads,
When we have to show them what we mean:
And when we say we've always won
And when they ask us how it's done,
We'll proudly point to ev'ry one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen!
(Brief Interlude)
War clouds
gather over ev'ry land,
Our flag is threaten'd east and west . .
Nations that we've shaken by the hand
Our bold resources try to test.
They thought they found us sleeping -
Thought us unprepar'd,
Because we have our party wars.
But English men unite -
When they're called to fight
The battle for Old England's common cause,
The battle for Old England's common cause.
So when we say that England's master,
Remember who has made her so -
It's
the Soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been my lads,
Who're seen my lads,
In the fight for England's glory, lads,
When we have to show them what we mean:
And when we say we've always won
And when they ask us how it's done,
We'll proudly point to ev'ry one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen!
(Brief Interlude)
Now we're
rous'd we've buckled on our swords,
We've done with diplomatic lingo.
We'll do deeds to follow on our words,
We'll show we're something more than "jingo".
And though Old England's laws do not her sons compel
To military duties do,
We'll play them at their game -
And show them all the same,
An Englishman can be a soldier too,
An Englishman can be a soldier too.
So when we say that England's master,
Remember who has made her so -
It's
the Soldiers of the Queen, my lads,
Who've been my lads,
Who're seen my lads,
In the fight for England's glory, lads,
When we have to show them what we mean:
And when we say we've always won
And when they ask us how it's done,
We'll proudly point to ev'ry one
Of England's soldiers of the Queen!
Three
cheers for the Queen. Three cheers for the armed forces & all 'old soldiers'
everywhere. And three cheers for Leslie
Stuart who wrote such a rousing song. Hope you enjoyed
joining in with our MusicSmiles
arrangement . . . Encore! Encore! More! More! Quiet
Scribe, you're making a spectacle of yourself. Well it's in the
spirit of Music hall to cheer and call for more. We know, but it doesn't
do to over-play the part. Oh! go on, we should have an encore
after such a splendid display.
Well OK then, maybe you're right, it does
deserve an encore, so here's arguably the most famous encore of them all to send
us all happily - Home!
Sweet Home!
