Tradesman’s Art & Mystery~~

The broadside ballad is a delicate subject. When Johann Gutenberg first published his Bibl in 1452, he could not have had any idea of the difference his movable type would make. Gutenberg’s goal of creating a more affordable Bible soon was eclipsed by the many less worthy uses to which his invention was put. Cheap printing meant that ephemeral ideas, including satire, doggerel poetry, and high-class insults, could be spread about for the amusement of many. It did not occur to anyone that these sheets would survive; they did. Single printed sheets, which are by themselves are called broadsides, are classified as street literature. They deal with universal problems in a very direct way. So the subject of this essay is, to use the 21st century euphemism, adult in nature.

If a gentleman disdained another, it would not be appropriate to brawl in the street like a comer. It would be far better to privately print and distribute sheets pointing out the shortcomings of the object of one’s contempt. That way everyone from shopkeepers and tradesmen upwards to great lords and ladies could share equally in the ridicule. Printing a broadside was a chance to show off literary prowess, wealth, and elegance all in one swift action. Lowly poets could ply their craft and sell sheets of their output for a penny. A balladeer could do the same. If the lyrics fit a popular tune then the words would be on everyone’s lips. And, if the lyrics are a bit naughty, all the better to sell the goods.

Broadside ballads really became popular in 17th century Europe. By that time paper had become less expensive, the technology of printing more efficient, and distribution of the sheets organized and, in some cases, taxed. The ballads did not come with musical notation since the reader of the time would know the tune. Those of us in the 21st century must put together the music score and the words in order to re-create the song. This research can be difficult.

Broadside ballads circulated throughout the English-specking world. Subjects included the nobility (some adored and others despised), patriotism (never critical of nation or King), current events (crimes, executions, military adventures), romances (the more scandalous the better) and politics. Broadside ballads reflect the interests and attitudes of the majority of common people in England and all the colonies.

A good example of a popular attitude made clear is a broadside ballad printed in “America” in 1732 and circulated in the colonies. The title is “The Catholic Remedy.” The mocking lyrics, sung to the tune of “To All You Ladies Now At Land,” describe the reasons why a Catholic becomes a priest. These lyrics are designed to be offensive and it is hoped you will accept them as the part of our history which is less than noble. In the text, the Gown refers to Catholic priest vestments. (The “f” is substituted for the letter “s” – refer to the note on this on page 2.)

You people who desire to mend
Your desperate Eftate
Draw near, and patiently attend
To what I hear relate;
The remedy is fafe and fure,
A Gown will all your evils cure.
With a fa, la, la, la, la
If you with empty purfe complain

And are with Hardfhips vex’d
Or if you have your floating Brain
With dark Amours perplex’d
Go over, get a Gown ;twil prove
A cure to poverty and love,
With a fa, &c.

These are some of the less aggressive lyrics. (Readers of a more adventurous nature can to online to American Memory, Library of Congress and look up the whole thing.) It is a nice tune and deserves playing on flute or fiddle. Without the words the tune is pleasant. This particular ballad was actually printed in the America colonies. There were many other ballads set to this popular air. They include “The Politick Wedding” in William Hick’s London Drollery (1673), “My Mistress is all the Genders” in Hick’s Grammatical Drollery (1682) and others. However, those lyrics were originally printed in England and less relevant to our colonial history.

It appears that hanky-panky was alive and well in the 17th & 18th centuries. There are endless broadside ballads dealing with the topic. However, most are unconnected with a particular tune. One ditty circulated freely throughout the colonies as a part of the popular Playford Dances. The Playford book, which went through many editions, is a collection of country dances. It is said that Playford was the second most popular book in the colonies after the Bible.

By the 18th century printing was so common and inexpensive that newspapers circulated freely. In addition, the much of the population in the colonies was literate and able to read them. So, instead of the broadside ballad being printed separately as an item of entertainment, it became part of the newspaper. Commonly it was a set of lyrics which had both a title and instructions as to which tune the lyrics went with. If the author were a gentleman, he probably remained anonymous. By keeping his identity secret he (or worse yet she) made certain that everyone of importance knew exactly who wrote it. And, should the object of the taunt be truly vexed, the author could deny having ever seen the song. One must remember that dueling with pistols and swords was still a common social practice.

This brings us to the most interesting (to American readers) broadside of all. It is the Liberty Song. The tune is Heart of Oak, a wonderful patriotic song about stalwart English seamen with music by William Boyce. Originally, Heart of Oak was part of a theatrical production in 1759: Harlequin’s Invasion, a pantomime by David Garrick in London. The original text refers to English triumphs in Africa, Europe, and North America, climaxed by the capture of Quebec in 1759. The same tune was used to revile the French. In that version it is titled “King, Liberty, Laws.” To this day, the tune and original Heart of Oak lyrics are the official march of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Here are the original lyrics:

Come, cheer up, my lads, ‘tis to glory we steer.
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, not press you like slaves,
Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
We always are ready; Steady, boys, steady!
We’ll fight and we’ll conquer again and again.

We ne’er see our foes but we wish them to stay,
They never see us but they wish us away;
If they run, why we follow, we cannot do more.
(Chorus)

Still Britain shall triumph, her ships plough the sea,
Her standard be justice, her watchword “Be free,”
Then cheer up my lads with our hearts let us sing,
Our soldiers, our sailors, our statesmen, and King.
(Chorus)

Now, back in the American colonies the French and Indian War had come to a close. Our protectors, the British Army and Navy, had been spending freely. It was, of course, the King’s money and not their own. This promoted an economic boom and a very high standard of living for most colonials, especially tradesmen and merchants. All was well and American hospitality was well known, even in Parliament. So, when the war was over it was time to withdraw the troops and pay the bills. This did two things: the economic boom ended abruptly and the bill for the war came due. Not only was income not coming in, but the Royal government raised taxes. It even made new taxes without asking if this was acceptable to the colonists. Nothing so rankles a free person as to have the government get involved in his (or her) personal affairs. This is especially true of a government hand reaching directly into the wallet.

So revolt began as a civilized protest to the taxes. Then came a not-so-civilized protest. Then people tried to circumvent the taxes by avoiding them (stamp tax), rioting, burning the tax collectors in effigy, or smuggling in the goods without paying. Then the protest escalated into a boycott of the taxed goods.

That is where our broadside ballad comes in. By now there were few single sheets circulating as paid goods. Printing had become regular newspapers. An anonymous gentleman of Delaware, who everyone knew was John Dickinson, penned words to go with the tune Heart of Oak that were eventually published in the Boston Gazette in 1768. Here they are:

Come Join hand in hand brave Americans all,
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty’s call;
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim
Nor stain with dishonor America’s name.
In freedom we’re born and in freedom we’ll live;
Our purses are ready, Steady, friends, steady,
Not as slaves but as freemen our money we’ll give.

Then join hand in hand brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed,
For Heaven approves of each generous deed.
(Chorus)

The reference here is not to armed rebellion, but to drinking herbal tea, avoiding English pottery, or using homespun cloth instead of imported. Social pressure, applied by local committees, was used to enforce boycotts. Merchants might have taxed goods, but woe be to the man or woman who was caught purchasing them. Of course, the merchants stopped ordering the goods they could not sell. Women, for the very first time, flexed political muscle through their choice not to wear fine ribbons, serve the status drink (imported tea), or purchase the fine things made in the mother country. The song by Dickinson was the theme of this first rebellion and is considered the first patriotic American song.

When the tune and words are combined, one gets the feeling of resolve that Dickinson wanted people to feel. The author has sung the tune with fellow members of the Huntington Town Militia, of which he is a member. A chorus of mixed voices makes it quite stirring. Readers should try learning the song and then teaching it to a group. This is a kind of historic re-enactment that opens a direct link with the past.

John Dickinson is remembered for this very special contribution to our history. Dickinson College, in Delaware, is named for him. The real American Revolution was an organized attitude of defiance against the King. The opening volley began not with gunfire but music.

The broadside ballad tradition of using music to inform and promote social change continues today. Instead of printing the music and lyrics in newspapers, the music itself is heard and reproduced in various electronic forms. During both World Wars music was used to promote unity and patriotism. As historians, it will be interesting for us to see what part music takes in current affairs as compared to its role in uniting a population during the Colonial era.

Footnotes:

American Memory, Library of Congress on the web, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/

Chappell, William, Old English Popular Music, publisher, Jack Brussel, 1961.

Keller & Shimer, The Playford Ball, published by The Country Dance and Song Society, 1994.

Simpson, Claude M., The British Broadside and Its Music, : Rutgers University Press, 1966.