The Lincolnshire Poacher

The Lincolnshire Poacher is a traditional English folk song (Roud # 299) associated with the county of Lincolnshire, and dealing with the joys of poaching. It is considered to be the unofficial county anthem of Lincolnshire.

History

The earliest printed version appeared in York about 1775.

Usage

"The Lincolnshire Poacher" is the quick march of RAF College Cranwell, the officer training school of the Royal Air Force located in Lincolnshire and was the march of the 10th Regiment of Foot and its successor the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. The Lincolnshire Poacher is also the regimental song and a march for the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment "the Poachers"; the song is very important to the battalion and can be heard many times being sung at full volume from barrack blocks, messes and parties wherever a "poacher" is based. It is also the authorised march of The Lincoln and Welland Regiment of the Canadian Forces.

Radio Lincolnshire used the melody from the end of the song's chorus as the signature tune for its news jingle, from its origination in 1980 until early 2006; it still uses a version with a less pronounced melody from the folk song. In 1961, Benjamin Britten arranged the song as number three in [http://www.brittenpears.org/?page=research/catalogue/detail.html&id=381 Volume Five] of British folk songs. Frank Newman instrumented the song for four hands on piano. In 1978, the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band issued the Lincolnshire Poacher as its follow up single to their successful "Floral Dance", and it was on the 1978 album "The Floral Dance".

The first two bars of the tune were used as an interval signal on the numbers station known as Lincolnshire Poacher.

Lyrics

"The Lincolnshire Poacher"

"When I was bound apprentice in famous Lincolnshire"
"'Twas well I served my master for nigh on seven years"
"Till I took up to poaching as you shall quickly hear"
"Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year."

"As me and my companions was setting out a snare"
"'Twas then we spied the gamekeeper, for him we didn't care"
"For we can wrestle and fight, my boys, and jump from anywhere"
"Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year."

"As me and my companions was setting four or five"
"And taking them all up again, we caught a hare alive"
"We caught a hare alive, my boys, and through the woods did steer"
"Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year."

"We threw him over my shoulder, boys, and then we trudged home"
"We took him to a neighbour's house and sold him for a crown"
"We sold him for a crown, my boys, but I divven't tell you where"
"Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year."

"Success to every gentleman that lives in Lincolnshire"
(Alt. "Bad luck to every magistrate)"
"Success to every poacher that wants to sell a hare"
"Bad luck to every gamekeeper that will not sell his deer"
"Oh, 'tis my delight on a shiny night in the season of the year."

Trivia

The 'Poacher' character in the opening scene of Terry Gilliam's "Jabberwocky" whistles the Lincolnshire Poacher theme as he checks traps.

'Poacher the Imp' is the name of the Lincoln City Football Club Mascot.

The Lincolnshire Poacher is also the name of the RNLI Skegness Mersey class lifeboat.

"The Chandler's Wife" employs the same tune.

There are many public houses in Lincolnshire with the name "The Lincolnshire Poacher" in tribute to the song.

External links

* [http://www.lincolnshirepoacher.net The Lincolnshire Poacher magazine (quarterly)]

Audio clips

* [http://142.59.159.170/media/sound/The%20Lincolnshire%20Poacher.mp3 Marching band sample from 2137 Calgary Highlanders Army Cadet Corps website] performed by the Lincoln & Welland Regiment
* [http://www.lushlifemusic.com/arrangements/audio/poacher.mp3 Jazz band instrumentation] - Ted Heath Orchestra arranged by Jon Harpin
* [http://www.theclassicalshop.net/mp3samples/CH/CHAN656103T01D01.wma Brass band version] by the Black Dyke Band
* [http://www.theclassicalshop.net/mp3samples/CH/CHAN656428T01D01.wma Marching band version] by the Band of the Coldstream Guards
* [http://ingeb.org/songs/poacher.mid Midi file]
* [http://intervalsignals.net/files/ukg-bbc_radio_lincolnshire_270202.m3u Radio Lincolnshire former news jingle]