Red Coats in Prague
It starts to get chilly in November in Prague, so Rita dresses up in this stylish red winter overcoat and leather boots. Who knew that there were “Redcoats” in Prague?
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 began to runnin’ on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
–Battle of New Orleans, Johnny Horton
Today’s music video is the classic Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton performing on American television in 1959. It tells the story of Andrew Jackson fighting the Redcoats at New Orleans in 1814. As every American schoolchild knows, “Redcoats” is a historical term for soldiers in the British Army because most regiments wore red or scarlet uniforms.
Johnny Horton: BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
In 1814 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 in 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 began to runnin’ on
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
We looked down the river and we see’d the British come
And there must have been a hundred of’ em beatin’ on the drum
They stepped so high and they made the bugles ring
We stood by our cotton bales and didn’t say a thing
[Chorus]
Old Hickory said we could take ‘em by surprise
If we didn’t fire our muskets ’til we looked ‘em in the eye
We held our fire ’til we see’d their faces well
Then we opened up with squirrel guns and really gave ‘em … well we
[Chorus]
Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ‘em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
We fired our cannon ’til the barrel melted down
So we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round
We filled his head with cannon balls, and powdered his behind
And when we touched the powder off, the gator lost his mind
[Chorus]
Yeah, they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go.
They ran so fast that the hounds couldn’t catch ‘em
Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico