Hot Stuff

Although the British Army has probably the finest traditions of military music in the world, it has allowed to fall into oblivion at least one song well worth preservation. This song is “Hot Stuff;” the earliest printed version of this is in Rivington’s New York Gazetteer of 5th May, 1774. Five verses are given and an explanatory note: “A song by Ned Botwood, Sergeant of Grenadiers in the 47th Regiment, composed before they embarked for the expedition against Quebec. Tune: ‘Lilies of France.’ ” The information is added that Botwood was killed on 31st July, 1759; this was the date of the battle of Montmorency, an ill-starred attack on the eastern approaches to Quebec, where the impetuosity of the Grenadiers proved costly. The dead of that battle (including Botwood, one assumes) were scalped by Montcalm’s Indian auxiliaries.

This is one of the three points of query attached to “Hot Stuff.” Botwood’s death is mentioned fifteen years after its occurrence, but an official record of this has not been found. Francis Parkman, in his “Montcalm and Wolfe,” accepted the Rivington statement, and others have dutifully followed Parkman. Accordingly for want of a better explanation, it must be supposed that someone connected with Rivington’s Gazetteer was personally aware of Botwood’s fate and this oral or hearsay evidence has been accepted since 1794.

The second point is that of the supposed popularity of “Hot Stuff.” The poetic sergeant took an anonymous soldiers’ song of 1756 and gave it his own set of more topical words. The explanation of the last lines of the fourth verse offered by Rivington’s Gazetteer is that “the clothing of the Regiment was taken the preceding year by a French privateer and they purchased the clothing of Shirley’s Regiment that year.” Since the tune is a good one and the words of “Hot Stuff” amusing, it would not be unfair to suppose that the song was widely sung. Nevertheless, the actual grounds on which the late Lieut.-Colonel Wyllie described the ballad as “popular among British troops” during the Seven Years War are elusive, nor is it clear to me what evidence has led certain historical novelists to call it a favourite in the American War of Independence. An American student of history has told me, text and chapter unfortunately forgotten, that it was played at Bunker Hill, but I would be grateful to anyone who could give an eighteenth-century reference to a specific occasion on which “Hot Stuff” was sung or played.

Finally, if one accepts that “Hot Stuff” was ever popular, and its merit alone suggests it may well have been, how did it come to be “lost”? There can be few regiments which are mentioned by name in eighteenth-century songs, and the Loyal Regiment (the old 47th) must be proud of their distinction. However, although Lieut.-Colonel Wyllie mentioned it in his book “The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment,” no attempt has been made to assemble music and words and use them. Parkman mentioned the tune “Lilies of France,” but it may not have meant anything to him. W. T. Waugh’s biography, “James Wolfe,” went so far as to enthuse over Botwood’s spirited words, omitting, as did Parkman, verse five, yet in the appendix one finds the words and music of another far less attractive Quebec song. Putting two and two together, it looks as if Waugh had not found the music of “Lilies of France.” But whatever one assumes, it is fact that today the British Army does not play “Hot Stuff,” a very stirring song, commemorative of a great event, further valuable as a genuine fighting man’s song now fallen into disuse.

The melody for the tune "Lilies of France" is reproduced below, transcribed and edited from the copy included with the original of this article. That copy was taken by kind permission of the British Museum trustees from their collection of old music.²

Come, each death-doing dog that dares venture his neck,
Come, follow the hero that goes to Quebec;
Jump aboard of the transports, and loose every sail,
Pay your debts at the tavern by giving leg-bail;
And ye that love fighting shall soon have enough;
Wolfe commands us, my boys, we shall give them Hot Stuff.

Up the River St. Lawrence our troops shall advance,
To the Grenadier's March we will teach them to dance.
Cape Breton we've taken and next we will try
At the capital to give them another black eye.
Vaudreuil, 'tis in vain you pretend to look gruff,
Those are coming who know how to give you Hot Stuff.

With powder in his periwig, and snuff in his nose,
Monsieur will run down our descent to oppose;
And the Indians will come, but the Light Infantry
Will soon compel them to betake to a tree.
From such rascals as these may we fear a rebuff?
Advance, grenadiers, and let fly your Hot Stuff!

When the Forty-seventh Regiment is dashing ashore,
When bullets are whistling and cannon do roar,
Says Montcalm, "Those are Shirley's, I know their lapels."
"You lie," says Ned Botwood, "We are of Lascelles!
Though our clothing is changed, yet we scorn a powder-puff;
So at you, ye bitches, here's give you Hot Stuff."

With Monkton and Townsend, those brave brigadiers,
I think we shall soon have the town 'bout their ears,
And when we have done with the mortars and guns,
If you please, Madam Abbess, a word with your nuns.
Each soldier shall enter the convent in buff
And then, never fear, we will give them Hot Stuff.

NOTES

1. Lewis S. Winstock, "Hot Stuff." Transcribed from the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Volume 33, 1955.

2. B.M. reference in the Catalogue of Old Music: "The Lilies of France and the Fair English Rose," London, 1756. G 315 (76).