The lyrics of this clever song, “An Irishman’s Observation on British Politics,” particularly the first verse, echo texts set to the old nursery song beginning “Hey My Kitten.” This unusual tune in 9/8 meter fits the text perfectly. A chorus beginning “here we go up, up, up” is common to most parodies set to the tune, parodies often written using childish expressions and familiar nicknames. Thus the musical setting might be twice through the first phrase for each broadside verse, then the “here we go up” chorus. The “Hey My Kitten” text was well known in America, appearing in nursery garlands printed by Isaiah Thomas, Coverly, and others, and used for several topical songs.[1]
The author’s viewpoint seems to be from the Irish shore rather than as an Irishman in America, although the text was undoubtedly written in the United States. Jonny here is John Bull, or England, and Jammy, James Madison. It is not clear why the American Federalists would “be sending to Ireland for crape for the hat” although certainly the Irish held no love for the British and would be delighted to see them well beaten.
Boston newspapers in 1812 included a large number of items on privateering in which the victims of the actions were often small local vessels whose owners immediately complained loud and long about losing their cargos. In July a note in the Independent Chronicle seems to describe the event covered by this amusing common meter text, “Boston Privateering.”
As the federal papers affect so much sympathy for the poor old man whose little fishing boat was captured and sent into this port by the privateer Argus, we would simply state, that the captain and most of the owners of that privateer are federalists! The inhabitants of the North-End, (the most American part of Boston,) have done themselves honor, by the prompt manner in which they have relieved the poor old Englishman. (July 30, 1812)
Commander Martin identified the privateer in this song as Argo (not “Argus”), a small local craft that took another prize in 1814. According to the song and newspaper item, in 1812 Argus took an American fishing boat assumed to contain a cargo of “fifty quintals [about five metric tons] of English fish.” Obviously there was much embarrassment about the seizure.
