The history and politics of the English protest song

1681

A Ra-ree Show

Tune: I Am the Duke of Norfolk
Lyrics: Unknown

Leviathan.
Come hither, Topham, come, with a hey, with a hey,
Bring a Pipe and a Drum, with a ho,
Where e’re about I go,
Attend my Ra-ree show,
With a hey, Trany nony nony no.

Topham.
That monstrous Foul Beast, with a hey, with a hey,
Has Houses Twain in’s Chest, with a ho,
O Cooper, Hughs and Snow,
Stop Thief with Ra-ree Show,
With a hey, &c.

For if he should escape, with a hey, with a hey,
With Halifaxes Trap with a ho,
He’d carry good Dom. Com.
Unto the Pope of Rome,
With a hey, &c.

Levi.
Be quiet ye Dull Tools, with a hey, with a hey,
As other Free-born Fools with a ho,
Do not all Gaping stand,
To see my Slight of Hand?
With a hey, &c.

’Tis not to Rome that I, with a hey, with a hey,
Lugg about my Trumpery, with a ho,
But Oxford, York, Carlile,
And round about the Isle,
With a hey, &c.

But if they would come out, with a hey, with a hey,
Let them first make a Vote, with a ho,
To yield up all they have,
And Tower Lords to save,
With a hey, &c.

Top.
Now that is very hard, with a hey, with a hey,
Thou art worse than Cut-nose Guard, with a ho,
And Clifford, Danby, Hide,
Hallifax does all outride,
With a hey, &c.

Holy Ghost in Bagg of Cloak, with a hey, with a hey,
Quaking King in hollow Oak, with a ho,
And Rosamond in Bower,
All Badges are of Power,
With a hey, &c.

And Popularity, with a hey, with a hey,
Adds Power to Majesty, with a ho,
But Dom. Com. in little Ease,
Will all the World Displease,
With a hey, &c.

Levi.
Let ’um hate so they fear, with a hey, with a hey,
Curst Fox has the best Chear, with a ho,
Two States in Blindhouse pent,
Make brave strong Government,
With a hey, &c.

Top.
But Child of Heathen Hobbs, with a hey, with a hey,
Remember old Dry Bobbs, with a ho,
For Fleecing Englands Flocks,
Long Fed with Bits and Knocks,
With a hey, &c.

Levi.
What’s past, is not to come, with a hey, with a hey,
Now Safe is Davids Bum, with a ho,
Then hey for Oxford ho,
Strong Government, Ra-ree Show,
With a hey, &c.

Ra-ree Show is Resoul’d, with a hey, with a hey,
This is worse than Disoul’d, with a ho,
May the mighty weight at’s back
Make’s Lecherous Loyns to crack,
With a hey, &c.

Me-thinks he seems to Stagger, with a hey, with a hey,
Who but now did so Swagger, with a ho,
Gods-Fish he’s Stuck i’th’ Mire,
And all the Fat’s i’th’ Fire,
With a hey, &c.

Help Cooper, Hughs, and Snow, with a hey, with a hey,
To pull down Ra-ree Show, with a ho,
So, So, the Gyant’s down,
Let’s Masters out of Pound,
With a hey, &c.

And now you have freed the Nation, with a hey, with a hey,
Cram in the Convocation, with a ho,
With Pensioners all and Some,
Into this Chest of Rome,
With a hey, &c.

And thrust in six and Twenty, with a hey, with a hey,
With Not Guilty, good plenty, with a ho,
And hout them hence away,
To Cologne or Breda,
With a hey, &c.

Ha-loo the Hunts begun, with a hey, with a hey,
Like Father, Like Son, with a ho,
Ra-ree Show in French-Lap,
Is gone to take a Nap,
And Successor has the Clap,
With a hey, &c.

Lyrics

The lyrics, illustration, and street performance of this song, which ridiculed the king and his ministers, created a political furore. The author performed it directly outside Parliament, which met in Oxford in March 1681 for a showdown between parliamentary Whigs and Charles II over attempts to exclude his brother, the Catholic Duke of York, from succession to the throne. The king won: Parliament was dismissed, the song-sheets destroyed (three survive), the singer/songwriter was executed, and the printer fled to America.

Cause: Exclusionist | Anti-Papist
Theme: Political Process
Addressed to: The Ruler | Elected Representatives
Target of Protest: Elected Representatives
Proposal/Solution: Restoration/Succession