Drop of Nelson's Blood

A staple of the folk music community, sometimes called "Roll the Old Chariot Along" due to its rousing chorus. An older version of the song appears to have originated in the United States as an African American spiritual sometime in the 19th century. The earliest known written example is from a 1901 collection called Cabin and Plantation Songs; it features the same chorus, but the melody and verses are different. A similar version was also used as a Salvation Army campaign hymn in the 1880s.

The modern version takes the form of a stamp and go shanty, and lends itself to endless variations and improvised verses, though traditionally it often features several references to alcohol and can get quite bawdy. It also frequently features extensive use of nautical slang and references to other shanties. It is unclear when and where the shanty version emerged, but several American gospel performers were touring the UK in the late 19th century (and traveling there by ship), providing one possible avenue of transmission.

Factoids[]

One possible citation for the religious version of the song is from Laura Ingalls Wilder's book The Long Winter, in which she describes it being sung as a work song in late 1880. If accurate, this would be the oldest known example of the song being sung; however, it is hardly a definitive reference, since the book was written nearly 60 years later and significantly fictionalized.

Nelson's blood is nautical slang for rum, owing to a somewhat gruesome legend about the preservation of Admiral Nelson's body. In order to transport the corpse home after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, it was said to have been preserved in a cask of rum to ward off decay. Rumor holds that the sailors aboard the ship drilled holes into the cask and drank the spirits.

There is some truth to the legend, in that Nelson's body was transported in liquor, though it is reputed to have been a mix of brandy, camphor, and myrrh. It is doubtful it was consumed.

Traditionally, someone with a booming bass voice attempts to hold the note of the "roll" in the chorus through to the end of the line.

Lyrics[]

These lyrics are based on the version released on C-Sides; too many versions of the song exist to choose any one as definitive.

Well a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And A drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And A drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}
And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the golden chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind!

And a cellar full of beer wouldn't do us any harm
And a cellar full of beer wouldn't do us any harm
And a cellar full of beer wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}

And a toastie on the grill wouldn't do us any harm
And a toastie on the grill wouldn't do us any harm
And a toastie on the grill wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}

Oh a roll in the clover wouldn't do us any harm,
And a roll in the clover wouldn't do us any harm,
And a roll in the clover wouldn't do us any harm,
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}

And a freebie from the bar wouldn't do us any harm
And a freebie from the bar wouldn't do us any harm
And a freebie from the bar wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}

And another swig of gin wouldn't do us any harm
And another swig of gin wouldn't do us any harm
And another swig of gin wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind

{Chorus}

And a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang behind

Drop of Nelson's Blood

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