TIM HART AND MADDY PRIOR ~ THE STATELY SOUTHENER

In 1778, John Paul Jones set off across the Atlantic with the aim of raiding the coast of
Cumberland, at dawn his ship the Ranger, sailed past the head of Kinsale lighthouse in the south of Ireland, peering through the mist they spied a much larger, more heavily armed English battleship, deciding that discretion is indeed the better part of valour, they quickly turned around and headed back to America. This song commemorates what was in reality, an epic non-battle.
She was a stately Southerner that flew the Stars and Bars
The whistling wind from the west northwest blew through her pitch-pine spars
As like an eagle swiftly on she flew before the gale,
Till late that night she raised alive the Old Head of Kinsale.
No thought was there of shortening sail by him who trod the poop,
Though by the weight of the pondrous jibs, the boom bent like a hoop;
Our groaning chess-trees told the strain that bore the stout main tack
But he only laughed as he gazed abaft at the bright and silvery track.
It was a fine and a cloudless night, the breeze held steady and strong
As gaily o'er the shining deep our good ship bowled along.
In foam beneath the trembling bows a-mounting waves she spread
As stooping low her breast of snow she buried her lee cathead.
"What blooms upon the starboard bow what hangs upon the breeze?
'Tis time the package hauls her wind abreast the old Saltee."
For by a mighty press of sails that clothed each pondrous spar
That ship we spied on the misty tide was a British man-o'-war.
"Out booms, out booms!" our skipper cried. "Out booms, and give her sheet."
And the swiftest ship that ever was launched shot away from the British fleet.
Amidst a murdrous hail of shots and stun'sails hoisted away
Down Channel clear Paul Jones did steer just at the break of day.

[@derekbeauchamp2409]

Like this

[@williamstclaire809]

God Bless the South.

[@romanempire4495]

This is a Revolutionary War song. It's supposed to be "she was a yankee man-o-war". It even says that she flew the colors of the Rebellious colonies. There is also a civil war song called Yankee Man-O-War but it is unapologetically pro-Union.

[@MrFpjohn]

A song for latter day or contemporary Jacobins.

[@JCDealy]

I'm mad for Maddy Prior.

[@justingriffiths01]

:)

[@geezer3090]

:'')