Wasaw Forty-Second

Cafe Society
1

I guess I was about ten years old when I heard this song. This is what I found online:

*Wasaw forty-second
Wasaw gone to war
Wasaw forty-second
Marching through the brambles raw.

Some of them got boots and stockings
Some of them got nay no more
Some of them got boots and stockings
Marching through the brambles raw.*

Only my teacher sang:

*Wasaw in forty seconds
Wasaw gonna wa’
Wasaw in forty seconds
Marching through the brambles braugh

Zoom-de-dim-dah boots and stockings
Zoom-de-dim-dah gonna wa’
Zoom-de-dim-dah boots and stockings
Marching through the brambles braugh*

‘Braugh’, he explained, was a Scottish brogue pronunciation of ‘broad’. Poking around the 'net some more, I found:

*Wa saw the forty second
Wa saw gonna wa
Wa saw the forty second
Marching throught the brambles raw.

Zum da dem got boots and stockings
Zum da dem got none at all,
Zum da dem got boots and stockings
Marching through the bramles raw.*

What is the origin of this song? What are the actual words to it?

2

Scottish folk song, in dialect, from the Crimean War:

Wha saw the Forty-Second?
Wha saw them gaun a-wa?
Wha saw the Forty-Second
Marchin’ doon the Broomielaw?
Some o’ them had buits an’ stockins
Some o’ them had nane at a’
Some o’ them had tartan trousers

Who saw the Forty-Second
Who saw them going away?
Who saw the Forty-Second
Marching down the Broomielaw
Some of them had boots and stockings
Some of them had none at all
Some of them had tartan trousers
Marching down the Broomielaw

The 42nd Regiment, also known as the Black Watch Regiment, was Scotland’s oldest.
More here.