The Battle Of Pinkie Cleugh (the Rough Wooing)
Art & Lyrics
I have always been a “history” buff. I enjoy learning how things came to be and understanding the chain of events that preceded us. I am not a history “expert”, but I enjoy reading about specific historical periods and events. My Dad used to tell us stories from his past. I think that must’ve primed the pump. Maybe I saw one too many “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” cartoons, but to be able to pack my bags and jump into the “way back machine” for the weekend sounds cool. I just need to be careful what I’m stepping into. When I listen to instrumental music, my imagination is my “time machine”. Here’s a journey I took back in time… a time half a millennium ago.
In 1547, Scotland, amid a long-running war with England, rejected proposals for marriage between the young King of England, Edward VI, and the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, and instead allied with France. England had intended that this proposal might end the fighting and perhaps even unite the countries. Understandably, when the Scots rejected this out-of-hand and cozy-ed up to France, England felt extremely “dissed”. One of the first decisions made by young Edward’s protector, England’s Edward Seymour-Duke of Somerset, was to try to settle this long-running war with a decisive blow. The last battle to be fought between the Scottish and the British Royal armies came to be remembered as the first “modern battle” to be fought in Britain, where the British demonstrated active cooperation between the infantry (foot soldiers), the artillery (cannons, catapults, etc. on both on land and sea), and the cavalry (soldiers on horseback) with a naval bombardment in support of the land forces. This resulted in a catastrophic defeat for the Scots and became known as “Black Saturday”. Drift back in time with me to this smoky battlefield. C'mon! Give it a shot! Cheerio!
Lyrics:
The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh words & music by JRRothrock 1/20/2010
Eons of military struggles… fought ‘tween the Scots and the Brits…
…climaxed in the first modern battle… at a site where East Lothian now sits.
A conflict that’s nearly forgotten… for there were no p’litical gains…
…but this 16th Century battle… cost thousands in blood and great pain.
England tried forcing alliance… ’tween their Prince and the Queen of Scots.
When Scotland scoffed at the notion… they were soon volleying shots.
36,000 from Scotland…
…against 16 thousand Brits…
Though the Scots had an edge in their numbers…
…the British had them in wit.
The Scots took an early advantage. The Brits brought in Naval support…
…and tho’ the Scots had them in fervor… in leadership, they would fall short.
Mistaking the Brits as retreating… the Scots charged in full-out pursuit…
…finding themselves quite surrounded… with nary a getaway route!
The thunder of guns from all angles… dark smoke hung o’er the fields.
With slaughtered brothers all ‘round them… the Scots still unwilling to yield.
Soldiers, horsemen and cannon…
…pounded the Scots from all sides.
From the sea…Naval bombardment…
…raining death from the skies!
(Instrumental Break)
The thundering guns all around them… the smell of death from the fields.
Bloody cries fading around them… the Scots still refusing to yield.
The bloodbath that followed was epic. 500 Brits died in the fray.
15 thousand lost from Scotland… remembered as “Black Saturday”.