Annotation:Anti-Gallican Privateer
X:1 T:Anti-Gallican Privateer M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air S:Bruce & Stokoe - Northumbrian Minstrelsy (1882) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G B|d2B GAB|c2A F2A|d2B G2E|F2A d2:| B|d2d d2d|e2f g2f/e/|d2B cBA|G2G G3| A2B c3|B2d g2f/e/|d2B cBA|G2G G2||
ANTI-GALLICAN PRIVATEER. English, Air (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. A ballad tune to which Stokoe (1882) prints the lyrics. He says: "In Sykes' Local Records, under the date 1779, March 6th, appears the following record:--'The Anti-gallican privateer, of Newcastle, sailed from Shields on a six months' cruise against the enemies of Great Britain (i.e. France and America), being the first that ever sailed from that port Completely fitted and manned.' This song and air were popular at the time the privateer sailed, but the great expectations to which they gave utterance were in this instance doomed to disappointment, as the vessel returned at the end of her cruise without a prize of any kind to reimburse the speculators in what has been called 'legalized piracy.'" The title was included in Henry Hobson's list of Northumbrian songs and tunes popular c. 1800. Lou Killen sang the song [Roud 3169] for a Topic LP in 1962, beginning:
The Anti-Gallican's safe arrived,
On Board of her with speed we'll hie;
She'll soon be fit to sail away—
To the Anti-Gallican haste away,
CHO:
Haste away, haste away,
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
For gold we'll sail the ocean o'er,
From Briton's isle to the French shore;
No ships from us shall run away—v To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
These Spaniards, too—those cunning knaves,
We'll take their ships and make them slaves;
Till war's declared we'll never stay—
To the Anti-Gallican haste away.
