Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre - 21st season of the ukulele
Channel: TootlinGeoff
Date: 2012-07-17

21st Season of the ukulele - France.

A French song from the early eighteenth century inspired by a false rumour of Malborough's death after the battle of Malplaquet in 1709. The song tells of Malborough's wife awaiting news of her husband from battle and of his death and burial. The song was quickly forgotten but reappeared about 1780 and subsequently became popular at the court of Louis XVI of France and Napoleon Bonaparte was heard to sing the tune. It is said that a peasant woman who had care of Louis and Marie Antoinette's son sang this song to him.