#Mutiny vapors professional

The ballads are drawn from several sources but certainly do not represent the entire gamut of possible ballads on the Great Mutiny. The ten ballads given here express a wide range of perceptions and emotional reactions to what was happening. The Great Mutiny was unique because it involved most of the British Navy. At worst they are the propaganda songs written by the likes of Charles Dibdin, who was George the Third's cheerleader.Īn excellent example of how ballads and broadsides were used to interpret historic events is the incredible story of the Great Mutiny of the British Navy of 1797. At best, the songs represent the feelings of the author and provide us with insight to the true feelings of the times.

#Mutiny vapors professional

Songs were written by professional songwriters who had never been to sea, by truly old salts, by stage actors or by groups of men in the foc'sl between the cramped gunnery decks. The ballads were motivated by thoughts of patriotism, a need to influence public opinion, or to pass away time aboard ship. The story lines were not always accurate, the melodies were usually borrowed from well-known tunes and the meter was often not rigidly maintained throughout the song. Whether the event was Drake's victory over the Spanish Armada, the Shannon's victory over the Chesapeake in the British-American War of 1812-1815, the Battle of Trafalgar, or the sinking of the Graf Spee in the Second World War, a song was bound to be written about it.

In British Naval history there has always been a wealth of ballads and songs to tell of the exciting happenings of the times. Article MT183 Ballads of The Great Mutiny of 1797