BEHIND THE SONGS
“and a pint from the landlord wouldn’t do us any harm.”
- ‘Drop of Nelson’s Blood’
A Drop of Nelson’s Blood
Have you ever been to Trafalgar Square in London? Lots of pigeons, also lions, and a bloody great column with a statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson on top. Nelson died in an epic naval battle against the combined forces of the French and Spanish navies, off the south-west coast of Spain, in 1805.
Don’t Forget your Old Shipmate
This is a Napoleonic-era song of the British Navy.
Jack and Joe, our jolly tars, are home again after a four-year tour of duty, and are reflecting on the voyage.