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The Bonny Bunch of Roses O

[ Roud 664 ; Master title: The Bonny Bunch of Roses O ; Laws J5 ; G/D 1:155 ; Ballad Index LJ05 ; VWML GG/1/8/440 ; Wiltshire 735 , 1078 ; DT BONBUNCH ; Mudcat 168727 ; George Brown]

Steve Roud, Julia Bishop: New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs

This song of history is a dramatic dialogue between Napoleon Bonaparte’s ailing son, the Duke of Reichstadt (1811-1832), and his widow, the Empress Mary Louise after Napoleon’s death. The son promises his mother that he will attack Britain and avenge his father’s defeat. His mother warns him that if he does attack Britain it will go badly for him (not least because the unity of the United Kingdom ‘has ne’er been broke’). He sickens and dies before he can do anything, saying that at least Britain will be haunted by the memory of Napoleon’s deeds. [Phil Edwards on the Tradsong mailing list]

Harry Cox of Catfield, Norfolk, sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in two BBC recordings, one made on 18 December 1945 (BBC 17230), the other recorded at the Windmill, Sutton, Norfolk, on 27 October 1947 (BBC 13865). One of these recordings was included in 1965 on Cox’s eponymous EFDSS album Harry Cox. The second BBC recording was included in 2000 on Cox’s Topic anthology The Bonny Labouring Boy and in 2012 on the Snatch’d From Oblivion CD East Anglia Sings. Steve Roud noted:

Another very popular song, noted frequently by the Edwardian collectors such as Sharp, Grainger, Gardiner, and Greig, and others since, across England and Scotland, but less often in Ireland. Several Canadian versions have also been noted, but only one or two in the USA. The song was equally popular on broadsides, and virtually all the major 19^th century printers included it, the earliest known being Pitts and Catnach, which dates it to before 1830, but it cannot have been written before Napoleon I died in 1821. His son, François Charles Joseph, who features in the song, died in 1832. The widespread availability on broadsides presumably explains the textual stability of the song from version to version. Napoleon certainly caught the popular imagination, and The Bonny Bunch of Roses is simply the best known of numerous songs which feature him and his exploits. It is often stated that this one is of Irish origin, but with little evidence to support the idea. For a perceptive overview of Napoleon songs, see Vic Gammon, The Grand Conversation: Napoleon and British Popular Balladry, RSA Journal (September 1989).

Phil Tanner sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses on a BBC recording made on 22 April 1949 at Penmaen. It was included in 1968 on his eponymous EFDSS album, Phil Tanner, in 2003 on his Veteran anthology CD The Gower Nightingale, and in 2012 on the Topic anthology Good People, Take Warning (The Voice of the People Volume 23).

Louise Holmes of Dinedor, Herefordshire, sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses on 14 October 1952 in a BBC recording made by Peter Kennedy. This recording was included in the anthology A Soldier’s Life for Me (The Folk Songs of Britain Volume 8; Caedmon 1961; Topic 1970).

Bob Scarce sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses at The Ship in Blaxhall near Woodbridge, Suffolk, on 10 October 1953. This BBC recording made by Peter Kennedy was included in 2013 on the Alan Lomax Archive album Singing at The Ship Inn.

Hastings fisherman Noah Gillette sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses on 14 November 1954 to Bob Copper for the BBC. This recording was included in Bob Copper’s Book (1973) and Topic album (1977) of country singers from Hampshire and Sussex, Songs and Southern Breezes, and in 1998 on the Topic anthology You Never Heard So Sweet (The Voice of the People Volume 21). The latter album’s booklet noted:

Noah Gillett, born in September 1885, was yet another Hastings fisherman, and Bob Copper said that it was through Noah that he got to know some of the Old Town fishing fraternity. Noah was 69 years old and illiterate, and Bob felt that Noah’s singing of this fine Napoleonic ballad was a remarkable feat of memory. In Songs and Southern Breezes he writes: “Noah Gillette closed his eyes and started to sing The Bonny Bunch of Roses. His voice was clear and slightly wavering and had the elusive quality of natural, unaffected sweetness that lends to a song of this nature the final touch of authenticity. He remembered his grandmother singing it, although he actually learnt it from his parents.”

The song was written by George Brown, a broadside hack writer, in the mid-1830s.

A.L. Lloyd recorded The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1956 for his Riverside LP English Street Songs. He noted:

This ballad was an extremely popular broadside in the earlier days of the 19^th century all over England, Scotland and Ireland. Note the unmistakable air of sympathy for the downfall of the “bold Corsican.” Perhaps this ballad began its life in Ireland; be that as it may, it certainly was an important item in the repertoire of native English street singers, and the back-street audiences found nothing amiss in the singers’ attitude to the enemy of their country. Perhaps, like Beethoven, the English commoners had once regarded Napoleon as a possible liberator from oppression and misery, and were sad rather than angry when this turned out to be an error. Some say the bunch of roses symbolises England, Scotland and Ireland; others that it is a metaphor for the red-coated British Army.

Sam Larner of Winterton, Norfolk sang Bonny Bunch of Roses on 7 March 1958 to Philip Donnellan (BBC recording 26075). This recording was included in 1974 on Larner’s Topic album A Garland for Sam. Another recording made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1958-60 was included in 2014 on his Musical Traditions anthology Cruising Round Yarmouth.

Stan Steggles of Rattlesden sang Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1958 to Desmond and Shelagh Herring. This recording was included on the 1993 Veteran cassette and 2009 Veteran CD of traditional music making from mid-Suffolk, Many a Good Horseman.

Bill Porter sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1965 at The Three Cups in Punnets Town. This recording by Brian Matthews was included in 2001 on the Musical Traditions anthology of songs from Sussex country pubs, Just Another Saturday Night.

Fairport Convention recorded The Bonny Bunch of Roses for the first time in May 1970 at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood. This recording was published much later on their anthology Meet on the Ledge: The Classic Years (1967-1975). A BBC Radio “Folk on One” broadcast from 25 July 1970 is on Fairport’s 4 CD set Live at the BBC. Their best know version is the title track of Fairport Convention’s first LP for the Vertigo label, The Bonny Bunch of Roses. Another live version, from La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia on 23 June 1977 found its way on the 4 CD anthology Fairport UnConventional.

Bob Davenport sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1971 on the Trailer album Bob Davenport and the Marsden Rattlers.

Nic Jones sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1971 on his eponymous second album, Nic Jones, just after the track Napoleon’s Lamentation. He noted:

The text of this ballad appears to have caused some confusion among folk-song enthusiasts, according to Frank Purslow in his note to the song (Marrow Bones, p. 103). He mentions James Reeves particularly as having commented on it. He goes on to say that the song is an imaginary conversation between Napoleon’s young son and Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon. This idea makes the song much clearer. The son threatens to “raise a terrible army” and to assert his power. They talk of Napoleon’s Moscow campaign and Marie Louise warns her son that he’ll follow Napoleon to the grave. Then, in the last verse, the son states that he is dying. This last verse becomes plainer if we understand that the son died at twenty-one of a weakness in the chest aggravated by severe, self-imposed physical exercise.

The tune in Marrow Bones is a version of The Rose Tree, although I have used the more common tune, a variant of The Bonny Bunch of Roses.

People have suggested that “roses” is a corruption of “rushes”, but either way Cecil Sharp says, “Surely our country has never been called by a prettier name then the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Bernard Wrigley sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1971 on his Topic album The Phenomenal B. Wrigley. A.L. Lloyd noted:

Some Irishmen hoped Napoleon would liberate them, and when he was brought down they made many songs tinged with regret. The Bonny Bunch is one of the best, and it spread widely among English singers to a number of tunes, some curly and elaborate, others plain like this one, collected by George Gardiner in Hampshire and printed in the compilation called Marrow Bones (E.F.D.S.S. 1965).

Ewan MacColl sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1972 on his Argo album Solo Flight.

Tony Capstick sang Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1974 on his Rubber album Punch & Judy Man.

Fred Jordan of Aston Munslow, Shropshire, sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1974 to Tony Foxworthy. This recording was included in the same year on his Topic album When the Frost Is on the Pumpkin and in 2003 on his Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates noted:

No matter what the history books tell us about Napoleon Bonaparte’s envious eyeing of Britain, we know that the labouring classes saw him in a vastly different light; not as a tyrant, but as a possible liberator who would free them from the sufferings which were imposed upon them by the then current social and economic structures. Indeed, such was the enthusiasm for the man, that even today fiddlers in North America remember him with a tune, hopefully entitled, Bonaparte Crossing the Rockies. The present song records a supposed conversation between Marie Louise of Austria, Bonaparte’s second wife, and her son Napoleon II. Following Bonaparte’s abdication in 1814, the Allies refused to recognise the status of Napoleon II who became a virtual prisoner in Vienna. Like his father before him, the young Napoleon’s dreams of power were dashed, in this case by his early death from tuberculosis. At the end of the last century the Reverend Baring-Gould was able to record that the song’s popularity was such that a new public house in Wakefield had been so named. It is another song which Fred has picked up in recent years.

Cyril Poacher of Blaxhall, Sussex sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses at home in August or September 1974 to Tony Engle and Keith Summers. This recording was included in the following year on Poacher’s Topic album The Broomfield Wager and in 1998 on the Topic anthology A Story I’m Just About to Tell (The Voice of the People Volume 8).

George Ling sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1974 or 1975 to Keith Summers. This recording was included in 1977 on the Ling family’s Topic album, Singing Traditions of a Suffolk Family, and in 2005 on the Veteran anthology of traditional folk songs, music hall songs, and tunes from Suffolk collected by Keith Summers, Good Hearted Fellows.

Walter Pardon learnt Bonny Bunch of Roses-O from his uncle Tom Gee. He sang it on 24 June 1978 to Mike Yates. This recording was included in 2000 on his posthumous Musical Traditions anthology, Put a Bit of Powder on It, Father.

Charlotte Renals sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1978 to Pete Coe. This recording was included in 2003 on the Veteran CD of songs from the Cornish travelling family, the Orchards, Catch Me If You Can.

Shirley and Dolly Collins sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses at the Sidmouth Folk Festival 1979. This track was included in 2006 on their compilation of demo and live recordings, Snapshots.

Louis Killen sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses as the title track of his 1993 CD A Bonny Bunch.

Barry Dransfield sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 1994 on his CD Be Your Own Man. He noted:

The most sung folksong in Britain and Ireland. I had given up hope of singing it until after a couple of years doing it with the fiddle in pub sessions I found myself trying it with the Appalachian dulcimer. It is my absolute love for this instrument that encouraged me to try this classic. The title refers to the crowned heads of Europe and the song is an imaginary conversation between Napoleon’s son “Little Eagle” and his mother Maria of Austria.

Graham and Eileen Pratt sang Bonny Bunch of Roses on their 1997 album Borders of the Ocean. They noted:

Not all nations were as jubilant as the English over the passing of Napoleon. This haunting variant came from a book called The Ballad of America.

Frank Harte sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 2001 on his album My Name Is Napoleon Bonaparte.

Terry Yarnell sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 2001 on his Tradition Bearers CD A Bonny Bunch. He noted:

The pro-Napoleonic sympathies of many of the working people of these islands, is made fairly obvious when the number of songs referring to him in the tradition is considered. How many songs have been collected concerning Wellington for example? The title of the song in this case is symbolic of England, Ireland and Scotland, although in some other Napoleonic songs, the term refers to the Redcoats. This is an English version, although the song is probably Irish in origin, and is a conversation between Napoleon’s only son, and his mother, the Empress Marie-Louise.

Bob Copper sang an English version of The Bonny Bunch of Roses-O and Martyn Wyndham-Read sang an Australian variant of The Bonny Bunch of Roses-O in 2003 on the Fellside anthology celebrating English traditional songs and their Australian variants, Songlinks. The albums booklet commented:

This is a song which seems to be very often sung to some version of the same fine tune. A.L. Lloyd observes that in the earlier part of the nineteenth century it was popular all over the British Isles. Curiously, in the English tradition Napoleon crops up numerous times, but the victor of the Battle of Waterloo almost never. The Sussex singer, Henry Burstow had several Napoleonic songs in his repertoire. Lloyd also notes that it shows considerable sympathy for Napoleon, and suggests that it may have begun life in Ireland. But most texts, even some Irish texts, suggest that the unity of England, Scotland and Ireland has never been broken, or never will be broken. Perhaps it is, after all, originally an English song, patriotic in its way, but remembering a time when the French Revolution was thought of by many English and Scots to perhaps leading the way to a revolution in the British Isles. Some believe the “bonny bunch of roses” is the British Army (a reference to their red coat uniform); other people disagree.

Bob Copper says that he learnt the song from a neighbour, Noah Gillette, when Gillette was nearly seventy, and that Gillette had learnt the song from his blind grandmother: “it can be said, then, that this is a genuine example of those rare songs that have come down to us purely by the oral tradition.”

[The Australian] version of the song was recorded from the singing of Mrs Catherine Peatey by Bob Mitchell and Norm O’Connor in 1959. Martyn Wyndham-Read learnt the song from a transcription of the song printed in the now defunct folk song journal, Tradition. Mrs Peatey grew up in farming country in southern Victoria, and learnt many of her songs from her father. She was born into a family named Braun, and it is obvious that this family, of German origin, had become thoroughly Australianised.

Brian Peters sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses-O in 2003 on his CD Different Tongues.

Danny Stradling sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses for a recording of songs sung at the Golden Fleece in Stroud in the early 2000s. It was published in 2005 on the Musical Tradition anthology Songs From the Golden Fleece .

Barry Lister sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 2006 on his WildGoose CD Ghosts & Greasepaint. He noted:

I learned this for Folk South West’s production of As I Walked Out to celebrate Cecil Sharp’s centenary of collecting his first folk song in Hambridge, Somerset. To sing this in the village and meet some of the descendants of the source singers was very moving.

Mary Humphreys sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses-O! in 2009 on English Rebellion’s WildGoose CD Four Across. Nick Barber noted:

The Bonny Bunch of Roses-O! was found by Mary Humphreys in Marrow Bones, a collection of songs edited by Frank Purslow and published by the EFDSS in 1965. It uses the Bampton Morris tune The Rose Tree. The song is in the G. Gardiner collection, the source being Chas Windebank of Lyndhurst, Hampshire [VWML GG/1/8/440] .

Jon Boden learnt The Bonny Bunch of Roses from Barry Dransfield’s CD and sang it as the 5 May 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day. He also sang it in 2024 on his Hudson album with the Remnant Kings, Parlour Ballads. This video shows Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings singing Hounds of Love (by Kate Bush) and Bonny Bunch of Roses at Cheltenham Folk Festival on 11 February 2011:

June Tabor and Oysterband sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses in 2011 on their Topic album Ragged Kingdom.

Tom and Barbara Brown sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses O in 2014 on their CD Just Another Day, which comprises songs collected by Cecil Sharp from Captains Lewis and Vickery in Minehead, Somerset, between August 1904 and May 1909.

Pete Coe and Alice Jones sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses O in 2014 on their album of songs collected by Frank Kidson, The Search for Five Finger Frank.

Sam Lee learnt The Bonny Bunch of Roses from Freda Black and sang it in 2015 on his CD The Fade in Time.

Hannah Sanders sang Bonny Bunch of Roses in 2015 on her CD Charms Against Sorrow.

Andy Turner learnt The Bonny Bunch of Roses from Frank Purslow’s book and from Noah Gillette’s singing, and sang it as the 26 June 2015 entry of his project A Folk Song a Week.

Cooper and Toller sang The Bonny Bunch of Roses on their 2023 album A Number of Work. They noted:

Roud 664. Napoleon Bonaparte was a popular hero in 19^th century English folk song, perhaps because the oppressed English working classes saw a Napoleonic victory as a sure-fire route to the sunlit uplands of health, happiness and economic prosperity. The song’s words were written by broadside ballad author George Brown. Brown worked in Seven Dials in London, a rough slum area which was a centre for broadside printing. Some authors unable to make a living from their loftier literary endeavours were forced to write broadsides to sell to printers for a shilling each. J.&R.M. Wood’s Typographic Advertiser of 1863 describes the broadside authors thus: “characteristically drunken bards who had to be locked in a room to elicit sober work from them, and who got round their masters by supping strong drink from a straw through the keyhole.” This song is a conversation between Napoleon’s ailing son Francois and his mother, Napoleon’s second wife Marie Louise. It’s a lamentation on living life in the shadow of the reputation of a high-achieving father. The tune comes largely from the New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, where the source is Percy Grainger’s 1906 transcription of George Wray from Brigg, Lincolnshire.

Lyrics

Harry Cox sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the dangers of the ocean, one morning in the month of June,
The feathered warbling songsters their charming notes so sweet did tune.
There I espied a female, a-seeming in grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonaparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o.

Then up spoke bold Napoleon as he took his mother by the hand,
“Now, mother, pray have patience until I’m able to command.
I will raise a terrible army and through tremendous dangers go;
In spite of all the universe, I will gain the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“Now when you saw great Bonaparte you fell upon your bending knee.
You begged your father’s life of him; He granted it right manfully.
’Twas then he took an army and o’er the frozen realms did go.
He said, ‘I’ll conquer Moscow, then go my bonny bunch of roses-o.’

“He took three hundred thousand men likewise kings to join his throng.
He was so well provided enough to sweep the world along,
And when he came near Moscow nearly overpowered by driven snow
All Moscow was a-blazing; then he lost his bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Now son, thou speaks so vengesome, Old England is the hearts of oak.
England, Ireland and Scotland their unity has ne’er been broke.
Now son, look at your father in St. Helens; his body now lays low,
And you’ll soon follow after, so beware of the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“O mother, adieu for ever, now I am on my dying bed.
If I’d lived, I should have been clever, now I droop down my youthful head.
And while our bones do moulder and the weeping willows o’er us grow,
Brave deeds of bold Napoleon will sting the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Noah Gillette sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the dangers of the ocean, one morning in the month of June,
A famous warbling songster there chimed a note sound sweetly tuned.
There I espied a female seemly in grief and woe,
And conversing with young Bonyparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o.

Oh, then said young Napoleon, as he shook his mother by the hand,
“Do, mother, pray have patience until I am able to command.
I’ll raise a terrible army and through tremendous danger go
And, in spite of all of the universe, I’ll conquer the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

It was then he took an army and over the frozen Alps did go,
And he says, “I’ll conquer Moscow, then go for the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“For he took three hundred thousand men, and likewise kings for to join his throne.
For he was so well provided, he’d enough to sweep the world around.
But when he came near Moscow he was overpowered by drifting snow,
And all Moscow was a-blazing when he lost all the bonny bunch of roses-o.“

“Oh, son, thow speak so venturesome, for England is the hearts of oak.
There is England, Ireland, and Scotland, their unity has never been broke.
And, son, look at your father, for in St Helena, his body lies low,
And you may follow after, so beware of the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh, mother, lay for ever now I am on my dying bed.
If I’d lived I should have been clever, but now I droop my youthful head.”
“But while your bones do moulder and the weeping willow o’er you grow,
For the deeds of bold Napoleon will never conquer the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Bob Copper sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the margins of the ocean, one morning in the month of June,
Those feathered warbling songsters their notes they chimed out sweetly in tune.
I overheard a female seemingly in grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonyparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o.

Then up spake young Napoleon, as he took his mother by the hand,
“Dear mother, pray have patience until I’m able to command.
I’ll take a terrible army and through tremendous danger go.
And in spite of all of the universe I’ll conquer the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh son, don’t speak so venturesome, for England is the hearts of oak.
There’s England, Ireland, and Scotland, their unity shall never be broke.
And, son, think of father, in St Helena, his body lies low,
And you might follow after, so beware of the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

He took three hundred thousand men, and likewise kings for to serve his throne.
He was so well provided, he’d enough to sweep the whole world alone.
But when he came to Moscow he was overpowered by drifting snow,
And Moscow was all a-blazing when he lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“Adieu sweet mother forever for I am on my dying bed.
If I’d lived I would’ve been clever but now I droop my weary head.”
“And when our bones do moulder and the weeping willow over us do grow,
Oh the deeds of young Napoleon will never conquer the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Nic Jones sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the margin of the ocean, one pleasant evening in the month of June,
The pleasant-singing blackbird his charming notes did tune.
Was there I spied a woman all in great grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonaparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o.

And then up and spoke the young Napoleon and he took hold of his mother’s hand,
“Oh mother dear, be patient and soon I will take command.
I’ll raise a terrible army and through tremendous danger go.
And in spite of all of the universe I’ll conquer the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“And when first you saw the Great Napoleon, you fell down on your bended knee
And you asked your father’s life of him and he’s granted it most manfully.”
’Twas then he took an army and o’er the frozen alps did go;
And he said, “I’ll conquer Moscow and come back for the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“And so he’s took three hundred thousand fighting men, and kings likewise for to join his throng.
He was as well provided for enough to take the whole world alone.
But when he came to Moscow all o’erpowered by driving snow
And Moscow was a-blazing, he lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.“

“Oh my son, don’t speak so venturesome, for England she has a heart of oak,
And England, and Ireland, and Scotland, their unity has never been broke.
And so my son, think on, your father in St Helena, his body it lies low,
And you will follow after, beware of the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“And it’s goodbye to my mother forever, for I am on my dying bed.
Had I lived I might have been clever, but now I bow my youthful head.
And while our bodies do moulder and weeping willows over us do grow,
The deeds of brave Napoleon will sting the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

(repeat first verse)

Fred Jordan sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

Against the margin of the ocean, one summer’s evening in the month of June,
When all those small bird songsters their melodies so sweetly tuned,
It was there I saw a fair maiden and on her face all was grief and woe,
Conversing with young Napoleon concerning the bonnie bunch of roses-o.

Then up spoke young Napoleon and he took his mother by the hand,
“Have patience, dearest mother until I’m able to take command.
And I’ll rise a mighty army and through tremendous danger go.
And in spite of all the universe I’ll conquer the bonnie bunch of roses-o.”

“O, son, be not too venturesome, for the English they are hearts of oak,
And England, Ireland, Scotland, oh their unity has never been broke.
Remember your father in Saint Helena where his body lies now mouldering low,
Oh he swore he’d conquer Europe and return with the bonnie bunch of roses-o.”

“When you first saw Napoleon, you knelt down before him on your bended knee
And the requests of your father oh he granted them quite readily.
’And he raised a mighty army and o’er the frozen Alps did go;
But when he came to Moscow he lost the bonnie bunch of roses-o.

“He took three hundred thousand men, kings and princes for to bear his train.
He was so well provided for enough to sweep the world for gain.
But when he came to Moscow he was overcome by the frost and snow
And with Moscow all a-blazing, he lost the bonnie bunch of roses-o.

“Adieu then, dearest mother, for now I lie on my dying bed.
But I had lived that Bonaparte, the fate of Europe I did change,” he said.
“But when my bones lie mouldering and all them weeping willows grow,
Oh the name of young Napoleon shall enshrine the bonnie bunch of roses-o.”

Barry Dransfield sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the margin of the ocean, one pleasant evening in the month of June,
The sweet pleasant songsters their liquid notes did sing in tune.
It was there I spied a female seemingly in grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonaparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o

“Oh mother,” cried young Napoleon as he gripped her by the hand,
“Oh mother please be patient until I’m able to command.
I’ll raise a mighty army and over the frozen waste I’ll go,
And in spite of all of the universe I’ll bring back the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh son don’t be so venturesome, Old England she has a heart of oak,
And England, Ireland, and Scotland, their unity can ne’er be broke.
Oh son think of your father, on St Helena his body lies low,
And you may follow after, so forget about the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“For he took three hundred thousand men, likewise some kings to join his throng.
He was so well provided, enough to drive the world along.
But when he came to Moscow he was overpowered by the driving snow
And Moscow was a-blazing, and they lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.“

“Oh mother, adieu for ever now, for now I’m on my dying bed.
If I’d lived I might have been clever, but now I droop my youthful head.
And when my bones do moulder and weeping willows round me do grow,
The deeds of old Napoleon will sting the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Graham and Eileen Pratt sing Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the borders of the ocean, one morning in the month of June,
The finely feathered songsters their charming notes did sweetly tune.
There I overheard a female, all overcome with grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonaparte about the bonny bunch of roses-o.

Then up spoke young Napoleon and takes his mother by the hand;
“Oh, mother dear, have patience ‘til I am able to command.
I’ll raise a dreadful army and through tremendous dangers go;
And I never shall return again till I’ve conquered the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh son don’t be so venturesome for England has a heart of oak;
And England, Ireland, Scotland—their unity may never be broke.
Remember your great father, in St Helena he lies low;
And he never shall return again, beware the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“When first you saw brave Bonaparte you fell down on your bended knee;
You asked your father’s blessing, he granted it most manfully.
Dear son, says he, I’ll take an army and o’er the frozen Alps I’ll go;
And I will conquer Moscow and return for the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“Your father raised great armies and likewise kings to bear his train.
He was so well provided, he could sweep the whole world for his gain.
Ah but when he came to Moscow, nigh overpowered by driving snow,
Moscow was a-blazing and he lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh do believe me mother, for I’m upon my dying bed.
If I’d’ve lived I’d’ve been so brave, but now I droop my youthful head.
Ah and while our bones lie mouldering and weeping willows o’er us grow,
The fame of great Napoleon shall shame the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

Martyn Wyndham-Read sings The Bonny Bunch of Roses

By the dangers of the ocean one evening in the month of June,
The feathered warbling songsters their charming notes they sweetly tuned.
I overheard a fair one, she was overpowered with grief and woe,
Conversing with young Bonyparte concerning the bonny bunch of roses-o.

Then up stood the young Napoleon and he took his mother by the hand,
Saying, “Mother dear, have patience till I am able to command.
Then I’ll raise a powerful army and through dangers I will go.
And in spite of all the universe I’ll gain the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“Had I lived to take command and I’d make St Helen’s rock to shake
It’s castle walls and battlements all for my poor father’s sake.
And with courage all undaunted I would raise him from his daring foe,
And in spite of all the universe I’d gain the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“He had thousands of men and likewise kings to join him in his throng.
He was well enough empowered to sweep the universe along,
Until he went to Russia, he was overpowered with grief and woe
Where Moscow was a-burning and he lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.

“Oh mother, he was always good, he was always kind and true to you
Until that fatal morning all on the plains of Waterloo.
Where thousands there lay dying and the blood in fountains it did flow,
And Grouchy he proves a traitor and lost the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Oh son, don’t talk of Bonyparte, for England is the heart of oak.
England, Ireland and Scotland, their unity was ne’er yet broke.
Then think of your aged father, in St Helena he lies low,
And soon you’ll follow after so beware the bonny bunch of roses-o.”

“Then adieu, adieu to one and all upon my dying bed;
Adieu to all that I adore,” and then he dropped his youthful lead.
And when our bones are mouldering and the willow on our graves do grow,
The deeds of famed Napoleon will stain the bonny bunch of roses-o.