Twa Recruitin' Sergeants by A Parcel o' Rogues

[@jamespickering2982]

Finest body off men to serve the empire.

[@movefaststayloweod1492]

They have fought in every major campaign that the British army's ever fought in (excluding the Falklands) they are British Soldiers but are Fiercely proud of their Scottish Heritage. Forward the Forty Twa !

[@stephenconnacher8813]

Thanks for posting this tribute to the Gallant Forty Twa!

[@TheCkofficer9]

This song is amazing reminds me of the time I got my lance in cadets

[@frankrobertson8260]

BRILLIANT RENDITION

[@Themyarhills]

Pure Malt gave a fantastic rendition at the Clachaig Glencoe in September 2011

[@jonathanraines4750]

The Gallant Black Watch...a magnificent English regiment (all the Tuchters go to the Argyles!)

[@Asiseeit13]

One of the finest, if not thee finest infantry regiment in the world. Formed to bring order in the Highlands allowing trade and markets to prosper. They brought to book blackmailers, cattle thieves and murderers. Its ranks were the elite of Highland society (even the privates came to join up with their servants!) A patrol of the "Watch" was a welcome sight in many a hard pressed highland glen.

[@JockVanDee]

i didnt know that bud, cheers for the information lad, gonna look more into it cheers

[@Asiseeit13]

The boys are on operations now. They always live up to the fighting reputation of the Regiment and Scotland. Best of luck lads and ....Forward the Forty Twa!

[@UnMirloBlanco]

Can you explain? According to the caption that usually comes with this image the soldiers name is Matereti Vere.

[@jasonhtcs]

0.24 seconds in, first on the front right is a man capable of wrestling an elephant. No wonder the taliban shat themselves!

[@simnebrael]

Alba gú Bráth!

[@JockVanDee]

Twa recruitin' sergeants come fae the Black Watch To merkits and fairs, some recruits for tae catch But a' they've enlisted is forty and twa So 'list, bonnie laddie, and come, come awa

[@cee9110]

Three clans formed the black watch one was me family the Grant's stand fast ya sons of grant

[@Zac2Hartsie]

BRAW SANG

[@Rikki0]

Well, I've read many of the comments and as an American I didn't know they were formed to suppress the Highlanders. So I would ask, is Scotland proud of the 42nd Light Foot or not. It's an honest question and I take no side. We fought against them, too. Just curious. Thank you.

[@willtait7170]

From the Orkneys Very.

[@gaconnochie]

Hi Rikki the whole premis that they were originally raised to suppress the Highlanders is too simplistic. The Black Watch grew out of the Independent Highland Companies and were originally Highland troops raised by Highland aristos/chiefs on behalf of the Scottish gvt against potential rebels. The Highlands themselves were divided just as Lowland Scotland was.

[@madelinekoster4583]

We fought them yes but not full scale, in Canada is where most were stationed. We fought the 42nd but they performed well against us and beat us more than we beat them (that is true for most of the British for some reason) and we got kicked out of Canada. The 42nd would have been given battle honors for how well they preformed against us but we were considered fellow English speaking brethren so it did not happen.

[@tearlach45]

Murdering bastards. They're English as far as I'm concerned.

[@madelinekoster4583]

Absolute defiance of reality, I see.

[@Asiseeit13]

They fought against the Jacobites Fitheach, the majority of Scots had already rejected the absolutism of the Stuarts, however romantic the idea. So they fought along with other Scots for the enlightenment which led (eventually) to democracy however hard that is to swallow.

[@juliekeenan7078]

This is no tribute to the BW -[I have no gripe about that fine regiment] it's a complaint about the false promises of recruiting sergeants made to prise exploited farm workers off the land into the military - in many cases from the frying pan into the fire. It refers to their presence at "feeing" markets where farm servants were looking for employment and the tied housing that went with it.This is more a socialist/ pacifist song than one in praise of the military in general or the BW in particular. I make no personal political point in this, I'm simply arguing that the song is far from being a "tribute" of any kind.

[@megankeith2148]

I wouldn't really call this song a "tribute" to the black watch. The lyrics describe the horrible conditions of war, and the recruiting sergeant is closer to an antagonist than a protagonist in the story.

[@jonathanpietz5200]

Really? To me it sounds like the two sergeants are trying to appeal to a young man's sense of adventure while casting a shadow over his present occupation as a farmhand and family man. Granted there may be a sinister undertone, but it seems implicit rather that outright said. But maybe I'm just interpreting their Scots wrong.

[@randomname8083]

Yeah you couldn't be more wrong Megan, lol

[@edeledeledel5490]

The very last thing that this song is, isa tribute to the Black Watch. It's a Scottish piss-take song about an English attempt to recruit Scotsmen to fight in the British army. They make up silly reasons for Scotsmen to leave their wives and children and their work on the farm, on the basis that being in the British Army is better. The lyrics describe the conditions they are saying they are enduring in Scotland ""soor sowan' soorin's" (look it up) and "Ill-brewed ale", etc. It didn't work - "All that they listed was 40 and twa" i.e after a big campaign, they only got 42 men to enlist. "O laddie, if ye've got a sweetheart an' a bairn, Ye'll easily get rid o' that ill-spun yarn. Twa rattles o' the drum, aye and that'll pay it a'. Sae list my bonnie laddie, an’ come awa’." i.e. leave your wife and children, getting rid of that "ill-spun yarn" - nice description of a child, presumably born out of wedlock? "Over the Hills and Far Away" is a similar sort of song, taking the piss out of reasons for recruitment into the army.

[@commissarklink]

Came here from Civil War songs. This, like many many songs, is about conning minorities into fighting the battles of imperialists. As in the American Civil War, sometimes it's a worthy struggle! But not always...