Day 15: Danny Deever
Song Information
Of all the Kipling poems that Bellamy set, this is quite possible the best. There's a story that after this was originally published, someone ran out of their office and said “Here's Literature! Here is Literature at last!” and to be quite honest I can't fault that response.
Kipling spent a significant amount of his time as a journalist in India with the British Army and although there's no particular evidence of a soldier called Danny Deever specifically existing, there are reports of soldiers being hung and while the regiment watches as part of collective disciplinary measures. In this case, the current belief is that it matches the details of the execution of a Private Flaxman in 1887 so closely that people think that Kipling read an account of the hanging and used it as inspiration.
Bellamy used the traditional tune of the song “Derwentwater's Farewell” as then underlying tune for this setting, which was written for Earl of Derwentwater James Radcliff after his beheading for his part of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715. Some of the tunes that Bellamy used for his Kipling settings were just traditional tunes (I've heard someone sing a music-hall song that's the same tune as used for The Land), while the others were written by him specifically.
Having said that, there's a couple where he took a traditional tune and knocked a few edges off and put some new ones in - take Big Steamers, slow it down and put it in a regular rhythm and tell me it doesn't remind you of The Castleton Carol.
In 2022 The Musical Traditions Club (now technically “The Old Musical Traditions” club since it was reopened as “The New Musical Traditions” in Sheffield) ran a Zoom concert called “Tell It Like It Was” which was another Bellamy appreciation concert, where Jon Boden sang this and it blew me away.
Another stellar version is from John Roberts and Tony Barrand's album “Naulakha Redux - Songs of Rudyard Kipling”, which was a collection of Kipling poems that had been set to music - Tony remarks in the liner notes that his wife banned him from singing at home because she hated the underlying story. You'll be as shocked as I was that it was predominantly Bellamy settings.
Listen to the Song
Lyrics
“What are the bugles blowin’ for?” said Files-on-Parade.
“To turn you out, to turn you out”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
“What makes you look so white, so white?” said Files-on-Parade.
“I’m dreadin’ what I’ve got to watch”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
For they’re hangin’ Danny Deever, you can hear the Dead March play,
The regiment’s in ’ollow square—they’re hangin’ him to-day;
They’ve taken of his buttons off an’ cut his stripes away,
An’ they’re hangin’ Danny Deever in the mornin’.
“What makes the rear-rank breathe so ’ard?” said Files-on-Parade.
“It’s bitter cold, it’s bitter cold”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
“What makes that front-rank man fall down?” said Files-on-Parade.
“A touch o’ sun, a touch o’ sun”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
They are hangin’ Danny Deever, they are marchin’ of ’im round,
They ’ave ’alted Danny Deever by ’is coffin on the ground;
An’ ’e’ll swing in ’arf a minute for a sneakin’ shootin’ hound—
O they’re hangin’ Danny Deever in the mornin’!
“’Is cot was right-’and cot to mine”, said Files-on-Parade.
“’E’s sleepin’ out an’ far to-night”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
“I’ve drunk ’is beer a score o’ times”, said Files-on-Parade.
“’E’s drinkin’ bitter beer alone”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
They are hangin’ Danny Deever, you must mark ’im to ’is place,
For ’e shot a comrade sleepin’—you must look ’im in the face;
Nine ’undred of ’is county an’ the regiment’s disgrace,
While they’re hangin’ Danny Deever in the mornin’.
“What’s that so black agin’ the sun?” said Files-on-Parade.
“It’s Danny fightin’ ’ard for life”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
“What’s that that whimpers over’ead?” said Files-on-Parade.
“That’s Danny’s soul that’s passin’ now”, the Colour-Sergeant said.
For they’re done with Danny Deever, you can ’ear the quickstep play,
The regiment’s in column, an’ they’re marchin’ us away;
Ho! the young recruits are shakin’, an’ they’ll want their beer to-day,
After hangin’ Danny Deever in the mornin’.