Billy Green the Scout Lyrics And Chords
Billy Green the Scout
This song was written by the Canadian folksinger Stan Rogers, who also wrote the famous Mary Ellen Carter Song and tells the story of William ‘Billy’ Green. This is a Loyalist song, and Billy was key to the British/Canadian victory over the Americans at the battle of Stoney Creek on 6th June 1813. He was born in 1794 to Adam and Martha Green in Ontario. Adam Green had been a New Jersey Loyalist who fled to Ontario after American Independence had been won in 1783. Billy was the last of eleven children and was supposedly the first White child born within the vicinity of Stoney Creek, Ontario. Many Irishmen fought in the American Army during the war of 1812, [ American Folk Songs ] but many also fought in the British Army, settling in Canada after the war. There were Loyalists of English stock, such as Thomas Needham and Thomas Godwin; the Loyalists of Scottish descent included John Morrow and Alexander Cameron, and Loyalists of Irish heritage included John O’Brien and Patrick Murphy. [ This song and information was sent to me by Robert Morrow, thanks Robert ]
[C] Attend you all good countrymen, my name is [D] Billy [G] Green
And I will tell of things I did when [C] I was just nine[D]teen
[G] I helped defeat the Yank invader, [C] there can be no [D] doubt
Yet [C] lately men forget the name of Billy [D] Green, the [G] Scout.
‘Twas on a Sunday morn’ in June when first we heard the sound
Three thousand Yankees on the road to camp below Greentown
Two Generals, Artillery and Company of horse
With many rank and file afoot, they were a mighty force.
Says I to brother Levi, “Well, we still can have some fun!
We'll creep and whoop like Indians to try to make them run!”
Which then we did both loud and long, much to the Yanks’ dismay
They fired their pop-gun muskets once and then they ran away!
Well, first they plundered Stoney Creek and then John Gage’s farm
They cut his fences for their fires although the day was warm
They bound my brother Isaac up and took him from his home;
They pillaged all the countryside, no mercy there was shown.
Then says I to myself, “Now Billy, this will never do
Those scurvy Yanks are not the match for Loyalists like you”
My brother's horse I quickly caught and put him to a run
And reached the British camp upon the heights of Burlington.
Says I to Colonel Harvey, “Now, let there be no delay
If we're to reach the Yankee camp before the break of day
I'll take you through the woods by night where I know every tree
And ere the dawn you surely can surprise the enemy”
With men and guns we then set forth the enemy to seek
Across the beach at Burlington and then to Red Hill Creek;
We came upon their sentries; we surprised them every one
One died upon my sword, and all the others off they run!
And so it was we were in place one hour before dawn
We fired three times upon the camp and then we marched along
We fired again and charged as Colonel Harvey gave the word
And put the enemy to fight with bayonet and sword!
With great confusion in the camp, two Generals were caught
The Colonel and his men made their artillery as naught
We killed over two hundred and we captured all the rest;
Nor did we lose but eighty men; of them we had the best.
And so it was I played the man though I was but nineteen
I led our forces through the night that this land would be free
I foiled the Yank invaders and I helped put them to route
So, let no man forget the name of Billy Green, the Scout!
This song was written by the Canadian folksinger Stan Rogers, who also wrote the famous Mary Ellen Carter Song and tells the story of William ‘Billy’ Green. This is a Loyalist song, and Billy was key to the British/Canadian victory over the Americans at the battle of Stoney Creek on 6th June 1813. He was born in 1794 to Adam and Martha Green in Ontario. Adam Green had been a New Jersey Loyalist who fled to Ontario after American Independence had been won in 1783. Billy was the last of eleven children and was supposedly the first White child born within the vicinity of Stoney Creek, Ontario. Many Irishmen fought in the American Army during the war of 1812, [ American Folk Songs ] but many also fought in the British Army, settling in Canada after the war. There were Loyalists of English stock, such as Thomas Needham and Thomas Godwin; the Loyalists of Scottish descent included John Morrow and Alexander Cameron, and Loyalists of Irish heritage included John O’Brien and Patrick Murphy. [ This song and information was sent to me by Robert Morrow, thanks Robert ]
[C] Attend you all good countrymen, my name is [D] Billy [G] Green
And I will tell of things I did when [C] I was just nine[D]teen
[G] I helped defeat the Yank invader, [C] there can be no [D] doubt
Yet [C] lately men forget the name of Billy [D] Green, the [G] Scout.
‘Twas on a Sunday morn’ in June when first we heard the sound
Three thousand Yankees on the road to camp below Greentown
Two Generals, Artillery and Company of horse
With many rank and file afoot, they were a mighty force.
Says I to brother Levi, “Well, we still can have some fun!
We'll creep and whoop like Indians to try to make them run!”
Which then we did both loud and long, much to the Yanks’ dismay
They fired their pop-gun muskets once and then they ran away!
Well, first they plundered Stoney Creek and then John Gage’s farm
They cut his fences for their fires although the day was warm
They bound my brother Isaac up and took him from his home;
They pillaged all the countryside, no mercy there was shown.
Then says I to myself, “Now Billy, this will never do
Those scurvy Yanks are not the match for Loyalists like you”
My brother's horse I quickly caught and put him to a run
And reached the British camp upon the heights of Burlington.
Says I to Colonel Harvey, “Now, let there be no delay
If we're to reach the Yankee camp before the break of day
I'll take you through the woods by night where I know every tree
And ere the dawn you surely can surprise the enemy”
With men and guns we then set forth the enemy to seek
Across the beach at Burlington and then to Red Hill Creek;
We came upon their sentries; we surprised them every one
One died upon my sword, and all the others off they run!
And so it was we were in place one hour before dawn
We fired three times upon the camp and then we marched along
We fired again and charged as Colonel Harvey gave the word
And put the enemy to fight with bayonet and sword!
With great confusion in the camp, two Generals were caught
The Colonel and his men made their artillery as naught
We killed over two hundred and we captured all the rest;
Nor did we lose but eighty men; of them we had the best.
And so it was I played the man though I was but nineteen
I led our forces through the night that this land would be free
I foiled the Yank invaders and I helped put them to route
So, let no man forget the name of Billy Green, the Scout!
