As I was a-walking on Scarborough Sands,
Some dainty fine sport for to view,
The lasses were crying and wringing their hands,
"O the Rout it is come for the Blues, for the Blues,
O the Rout it is come for the Blues."

A fair pretty maid to her mother did say,
"My heart's full of love - it is true.
I'll pack up my clothes, without any delay,
And travel the world with the Blues, with the Blues,
And travel the world with the Blues."

"They're as gallant young fellows as ever you'll see,
Though you search Bonny Britain all through.
When dressed in His Majesty's suit, you'll agree,
There are none can compare with the Blues, with the Blues,
There are none can compare with the Blues."

The landlords and landladies, hand in hand trip,
And so do the young lasses, too,
You'd have laughed to have seen them along the sands skip,
All to take their farewell of the Blues, of the Blues,
All to take their farewell of the Blues.

The boats are afloat, the gallant men her,
The trumpet that soundeth so true.
They lift up their voices, and give a loud cheer,
Success to the King and his Blues, and his Blues,
Success to King George and his Blues.

abc | midi | pdf

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Source: Baring-Gould, 1895, A Garland of Country Song, London

Notes:
Baring-Gould wrote:

This song is a 'Catnach Broadside' and begins "As I was a going down Rosemary Lane." We have heard it sung, "As I travelled one day up to Stafford City." It is given in Ingledew's "Yorkshire Ballads." Rewritten it appears as "The Clara Boys", a broadside by Bebbington of Manchester.

The title illustrates an interesting example of two English words which now have the same spelling but completely different meanings and origins. Rout meaning disorganised flight etc, comes from Middle English from Old French route. Rout as in this song, meaning muster, or fetch out of hiding, derives from root from O.E. "r�µt."

There are a number of broadsides in the Bodleian entitled Success to the Blues

The dated ones tend to be around 1820-1840


Roud: 21098 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child:

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Related Songs:  Fathom the Bowl (melodic)