The Battle of Waterloo: an American popular song

Overheard on cross-time radio:

In 1815 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson on an ocean-going ship.
We took a lot of bacon and we took some powder too
And we went to fight Napoleon at the town of Waterloo.

Refrain:
We fired our guns and the Frenchies kept a’comin’
Wasn’t nigh as many as an hour ago or three.
Fired once more and they began to runnin;
Off the field of Waterloo and back to gay Paree.

The redcoats all got slaughtered when they stood there in a line
But they sent us out as skirmishers and that was mighty fine.
We hid out at La Haye Sainte and we watched the Frogs advance
And when we opened up, the bastards didn’t have a chance.

Refrain

They sent the cavalry across a’chargin’ for the guns
And a lot of British mothers lost their darlin’ English sons.
But when the Frenchies chased them back, that’s where we lay in wait
And we served spit-roasted Cuirassier to Hickory on a plate.

Refrain

Things got a little desp’rate as the evening hours fell
And the Old Guard came a’ridin’ for to give the British hell.
We stood with the Fifty-Second and we aimed our rifles high
The Old Guard might not surrender but they sure knew how to die.

Refrain

Yeah, they ran up the ridge and they ran back to mama
They ran between stones where an owl couldn’t see.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ‘em
Off the field of Waterloo and back to gay Paree.

Refrain
 
Last edited:
The Americans sided with the Brits at Waterloo!

Hmm, no 1812 war then and no revolution (perhapse the French refused to help the Americans revolt.)
 
The Americans sided with the Brits at Waterloo!

Hmm, no 1812 war then and no revolution (perhapse the French refused to help the Americans revolt.)

I figure that the POD would be as close to the Napoleonic wars as possible, so my guess is that there was an American Revolution, but that the Quasi-War either turned hot or became an ongoing conflict. This soured American relations with France and led the United States into an alliance with Britain. Then, some French provocation during the Napoleonic wars caused the United States to become an active (albeit minor) participant on the British side.

I also considered a situation in which the American colonies stay in the British Empire, but that would probably butterfly the French revolution too, because the debts France incurred in supporting the ARW were part of the financial crisis that led to the Estates-General being summoned. Maybe, though, this could be a world in which there was no American Revolution but in which France overstretched its finances for another reason - for instance, the song could come from this universe.

Or maybe we're both overthinking this. :p
 
In the AH anthology about American Presidents, the "jaunt" is "up the frothy St. Lauraunt" in 1807. I was also suprised to find that Johnny Horton did a version of "The Battle of New Orleans" from the British point of view...
 
here it is

In eighteen-seven, we took a little jaunt,
Long with Gen'ral Jackson down the frothin' St Laurent
We took a little bacon and we took a little corn
And we fought the bloody British near the tow'rin Fort Dearborn

Chorus: Fired ou guns, and the British kept a-commin'
'Twan't nigh as many as they was a while before
Fired once more and they began a-runnin'
Down the St. Laurenty to the gray Atlantic shore!

from "The War of '07" by Jayge Carr about a Burr presidency..
 
I think he did it fo a UK tour maybe? Its not that different from the "real" version. same chorus for instance..
 
Top