Lyrics C.W. McCall

C.W. McCall

The Battle of New Orleans

Well, in eighteen-fourteen we took a little trip

Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip

We took a little bacon and we took a little beans

And we caught the bloody British at the town of New Orleans.

[Chorus]

We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago

We fired once more and they all began a-runnin'

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Well we eye-balled the river and we see the Limeys come

Musta been a hunnert of 'em beatin' on a drum

And then they stepped so high and they made the bugles ring

We hid behind our cotton bales and didn't say a thing

[Chorus]

We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago

We fired once more and they all began a-runnin'

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Now, Old Hickory says we can take 'em by surprise

If we don't shoot our wads 'til we look 'em in the eyes

So we held off our fire 'til we see them real well

Then we opened up our squirrel guns and really gave 'em hell

[Chorus]

We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago

We fired once more and they all began a-runnin'

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

[The chorus (the singers) sings this verse.]

Well, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles

And they ran through the bushes where the rabbits couldn't go

Ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

[Back to C.W.]

Well, we fired our cannon 'til the barrel melted down

So we grabbed an alligator and we turned his tail around

We stuffed his head with cannon balls and powdered his behind

And when we lit the fuse that old gator blew his mind

[Chorus]

We fired our guns and the British kept a-comin'

There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago

We fired once more and they all began a-runnin'

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

[The chorus (the singers) sings this verse.]

Well, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles

And they ran through the bushes where the rabbits couldn't go

Ran so fast that the hounds couldn't catch 'em

Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.

[Okay, the singing's over.]

Hup, hip, trip, four.

You know, you old boys gonna be marchin' right smart, onced* you learn to count to four.