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Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride

18 Feb 00 - 04:47 AM (#180582)
Subject: Willy Mc Bride
From: daks

who knows the words and the chords of this wonderful song? I heard it first from Dubliners, I think it was written by Bogle... can you help me? thanks


18 Feb 00 - 05:06 AM (#180587)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Wolfgang

search in the database for 'No Man's land' and you have it. Wolfgang


18 Feb 00 - 05:55 AM (#180592)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,FP

Hey, Willy McBride's Reply is good.


18 Feb 00 - 10:09 AM (#180665)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,artnsole1@aol.com

can recomend june tabor singing this,it still haunts me


18 Feb 00 - 04:09 PM (#180865)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Irish sergeant

O.K Folks; I have June Tabor's version and it is great. The Irish Rovers did a version as did the Dubliners. The lyrics are available under No Man's Land. I have them some where however and if you contact me in a few days I may be able to pu my hands on the however I believe they go something like this: How do you do Young Willie McBride, Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side, And rest for a while in the warm summer sun, I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done. I see by your gravestone you were only 19, When you joined the brave fallen of 1916. I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean, Or Willie McBride was it slow and obscene? Chorus: Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly? Did the rifles fire over you when they lowered you down? Did the bugles sound the last post and colours? Did the pies play the flower of the fallen? If I can find the rest, I'll visit and put it on the site, Hope this helps a little, Neil


18 Feb 00 - 04:28 PM (#180876)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: wysiwyg

Hey daks!

Good to see you back!!


18 Feb 00 - 04:42 PM (#180886)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: annamill

My friend Eric tells me that the name of this song is "Green Fields of France". Search for that and see if he is correct.

Love, annap


18 Feb 00 - 04:49 PM (#180893)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: NO MAN'S LAND (Eric Bogle)
From: annamill

Green Fields of France
by Eric Bogle

3/4 time
Intro:
G | G | C | Am | D | D | G | D |

Verse 1:
|G |G |C |Am
Well how do you do, Private William McBride.
|D |D |G |D
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?
|G |G |C |Am
I'll rest for awhile in the warm summer sun.
|D |D |C |G
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done.

|G |G |C |Am
And I see by your gravestone, you were only nineteen
|D |D |G|D
When you joined the dead heroes in 1915.
|G |G |C |Am
Well, I hope you died quick, and I hope you died clean.
|D |D |C |G
Or, Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?


CHORUS:
|D |D |C |G
Did they beat the drum slowly; did they sound the fifes lowly;
|D |D |C |G
Did the rifles fire o'er you as they lowered you down?
|C |C |D |D
Did the bugle play The Last Post and Chorus;
|C |Am |D |G
Did the pipes play The Flowers of the Forest?


Verse 2:
And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind;
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1915,
In some faithful heart are you forever 19?

Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Enshrined forever behind a glass frame,
In an old photograph, torn & tattered & stained,
And fading to yellow in a bound leather frame?

CHORUS

Verse 3:
Well, the sun, it shines down on these green field of France.
The warm wind blows gently, and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished now, under the plow.
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns fire now.

But here in this graveyard it's still no man's land.
And the countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man.
And a whole generation who butchered & damned.

CHORUS

Verse 3:
Well, I can't help but wonder now, Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe this war would end all wars?

Well, the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,
The killling, the dying, it was all done in vain.
For William McBride, it's all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

CHORUS
Ending: |G |G |C |Am |D |D |C |G


submitted by payerle@wam.umd.edu


From: Wes Jester
Subject: /IRISH/Green_Fields_of_France.crd
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 93 13:38:12 EDT



Green Fields Of France
CAPO 3

G Em C Am
Well how do you do young Willie McBride,
D D7 C G
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside,
Em C Am
And rest for a while neath the warm summer sun,
D D7 C G
I've been working all day and I'm nearly done.
G Em C Am
I see by your gravestone you were only 19,
D C G D7
When you joined the great fallen in 1916,
G Em Am
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean,
D D7 C G
Or young Willie McBride was it slow and obscene.

(CHORUS:)

G D D7 C G
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
D D7 C D
Did they sound the dead march, as they lowered you down,
C G Em
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
G C D7 G
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.

Did you leave ere a wife or a sweetheart behind,
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined,
Although you died back in 1916,
In that faithful heart are you forever 19.
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Enclosed in forever behind a glass frame,
In an old photograph all torn battered and stained,
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.

CHO:
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France,
There's a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance,
And look how the sun shines from under the trees,
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it's still "No Man's Land",
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man,
To a whole generation that were butchered and damned.

CHO:
Ah, young Willie McBride I can't help wonder why,
Do all those who lie here know why did they die,
And did they believe when they answered the call,
Did they really believe that this war would end wars.
Well, the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain,
The killing and dieing were all done in vain,
For young Willie McBride it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again.

love, annap
HTML line breaks and preformat commands added. --JoeClone, 11-Nov-02.


18 Feb 00 - 05:53 PM (#180936)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: McGrath of Harlow

Have you noticed how some people sing it "I've been working all day" and some people "I've been walking all day" - I'm pretty sure Eric Bogle wrorte it as "walking" -but the way Irish singers pronounce makes it sound like it might be "working". And then others learn it fronm the singing, and sing it as "working".

That's the folk process. I think "working" is actually better, in a way - it suggests someone who's come across the grave by chance, when he's doing a days work, maybe on a building site somewhere, rather than a tourist who's come to see the war graves.

Once a song is on the loose, it takes on a life of its own, regardless of the wishes of the person who made it up. The same way, though I know Eric Bogle wrote it as "No Man's Land" and prefers that title, it's almost always called "Willie McBride" or "The Green Fields of France".


18 Feb 00 - 07:46 PM (#180984)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Ginny

Funny how things are !!! Just bought the June Tabor version so I could listen to it over and over...Decided to learn to sing it in sessions and here it is ... Thanks Folks!


18 Feb 00 - 09:04 PM (#181018)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Brendy

I always thought it was 'countless white crosses in mute witness stand, to....'
I translated the song into a rap format a couple of years ago.


21 Feb 00 - 06:44 PM (#182429)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Wavestar

While we're on the topic..

A friend of mine apparently heard a parody of this while he was in Ireland that was great, but that isn't in the database... unfortunately, due to my being a space cadet, I don't remember the lyrics he was able to sing for me, and so can't ask now, but I'm hoping that if I post here, I'll be able to find this again later!

I'll get back to you...

Cheers, Jessica


21 Feb 00 - 07:17 PM (#182446)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Barrie

Just to set the record straight..... The song is called No Man's Land, written by Eric Bogle. The Fureys were responsible for the the change of name when they recorded it as Green Fields of France, changing some of the lyrics in the process. The popular belief in Australia is that they did this to avoid paying Eric the royalty for the song.


21 Feb 00 - 08:12 PM (#182471)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Paddy(1)

Like all good folk songs this has several parodies, in particular this one. (First verse copied from the database - I can't do the blue clicky thing !!).

There is another version which is Willie's reply to the Furey Brothers and I think it involves Davy Arthur hiding behind a gravestone and talking back to Finbar !!

Paddy(1)

NO MAN'S LAND (3) (Crawford Howard and Fintan Valaly)

Have you heard the old song about Willie Mc Bride?
If I hear it again, it'll turn me insides!
For its sung in the Springtime and its sung in the Fall
- And mostly by people who can't sing at all!
You go out for a drink on a Saturday night
For a pint and a song, and things are alright
Until some drunken bowsey sits down by your side
And he asks for the one about "Willie Mc Bride"!


22 Feb 00 - 01:55 PM (#182839)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Jim H.

I would heartily recommend the version sung by Danny Doyle, a superb singer, and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear him sing "No Man's Land".


22 Feb 00 - 02:42 PM (#182860)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Molly Malone

Guest, Paddy (1)

I'm so glad you posted that. I thought a friend of mine wrote that, and now I find the word's here. Thank you thank you thank you.

And here's the blue clicky thing for you.


22 Feb 00 - 06:00 PM (#182984)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Dan Evergreen

If you don't mind my saying so, I could never appreciate a parody of a song like this.


22 Feb 00 - 06:10 PM (#182990)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Molly Malone

I don't personally mind. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I love a good parody of just about anything!

I think you've expressed your feelings well, without slamming those that enjoy that sort of thing.


22 Feb 00 - 09:51 PM (#183091)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Wavestar

Dan-

I understand how you feel, and I'm sorry if you're offended, but I hope you're not. I love the song, and it tugs on something inside whenever I sing it... my mother used to sing it to me when I was a kid.

On the other hand, it is one of those songs that I've heard a million and a half times, and after that many repittions, I can parody anything! Plus I can laugh at almost anything in the first place...

Just my unneccesary two cents.

-Jessica


23 Feb 00 - 01:21 PM (#183496)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Dan Evergreen

Not offended at all, Wave. Just wondered if others might feel the same way. I've got an uncle behind the glass pane. But, unfortunately, who doesn't?


28 Feb 00 - 09:47 AM (#186136)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Alicat

I've been told that this is part of a trilocy of three songs by Eric Bogle Has any one any ideas on this myth or is it fact. If so does anyone have words, chords & music to the other two. Some have said that the Leaving of Nancy is the first and Willy Mcbride the last?????? HELP PLEASE


28 Feb 00 - 09:14 PM (#186508)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Bugsy

"Leaving Nancy" is a song about Eric's Mother, Nancy, Seeing him off at the local railway station at the beginning of his journey to Australia. I don't think it is part of any trilogy.

Cheers

Bugsy


29 Feb 00 - 11:28 AM (#186745)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GeorgeH

Ah, but WHICH June Tabor version of the song? She's recorded it twice, and the (even) better of the two versions is on "We died in Hell . . they called it Paschendaele", which was a live recordings of the first of the Paschendaele peace concerts (#1) and is probably the most treasured item in our CD collection.

Also - not so long ago there was a discussion of this song, and its "partial adoption" by the Irish Republican "faction", over on rec.music.folk, in which Steven Suffit's "Willie McBride's reply" featured quite extensively. Strong opinions on a number of sides, but I felt that a lot of interesting points were made.

G.

#1 Actually that year there was a series of concerts and the CD is compiled from several of them.


29 Feb 00 - 04:28 PM (#186979)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Dan D

Alicat,

I don't know if it's part of a trilogy but a likely "mate" would be "And the Band Played Waltzin' Matilda". Chords and lyrics are available on several sites including the OLGA mirors.


29 Feb 00 - 05:55 PM (#187038)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Susanne (skw)

Again, a likely 'mate' for Leaving Nancy would be Since Nancy Died, which Eric (clearly) wrote after his mother's death. All four songs can be found on Eric's 1980 album 'Now I'm Easy'. - Susanne


29 Feb 00 - 11:18 PM (#187211)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Bill D

*scrolling thru the posts...and shaking my head*...

what we have here is a great example of the folk process!..The song is NOT that old, and already it is being taken out of Eric Bogle's hands and changed, re-named and given spurious referents!..It is a real tribute to a song that so many are moved to sing it OR parody it...fortunately, we have something like the Mudcat to keep the record straight, so that no matter what happens, or which name or version you prefer, the truth is available....


29 Feb 00 - 11:33 PM (#187219)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Chris/Darwin

I went to a Finbar Furey concert in Darwin last week, which I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed. I had I feeling I wouldn't, partly because I never forgave him for mucking around with the title and lyrics of this song.

During the concert he said that he recently bumped into Eric Bogle, and they discussed this song at length. Finbar claimed that they agreed that the song was now "there's" and not just Eric's. The folk process?

Having said that, if you listen to the Furey's version, it is performed very well, and still gives me goosebumps.

Regards
Chris


01 Mar 00 - 03:05 AM (#187332)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,murray@mpce.mq.edu.au

By the way there is a cassette (that might be a CD by this time) called "Not the Worst of Eric Bogle". In it Bogle sings "Goodby My Nancy-o", "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" and "Willie McBride". (He does sing "walking" rather than "working" in this record). The only trouble is that the backing is dreadful! I assume he provides it since no other name is given.

Murray


01 Mar 00 - 04:03 AM (#187343)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GMT

June Tabors solo version of The Band Played ...... is very moving.

Bogle really captures the heart in those anti war songs.

Gary


01 Mar 00 - 12:43 PM (#187561)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Wolfgang

As for the trilogy: My guess is that the three songs of Bogle on the First World War are meant by that (and not one of the Nancy's). Two of them have been mentioned above: No man's land, The band played Waltzing Mathilda. The third and least known of them is 'For king and for country'.

For King and for Country
we fought and we died
in the first flush of dawn
at the fields of the Somme.

Wolfgang


01 Mar 00 - 09:50 PM (#187887)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Bugsy

Chris/Darwin, I very much doubt that Eric said that to Finbar Fury, Knowing how Eric feels about his music I couldn't see him conferring ownership of any of his song to anyone.

Cheers

Bugsy


01 Mar 00 - 10:33 PM (#187897)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: BK

It's clear that I certainly need to get some more of June Tabor recordings. I wonder if she's done any of these w/Maddy Prior - another of my very favorites..? Wolfgang: do you know on what recordings we might find that lesser known song "For King And Country?"

Cheers, BK


02 Mar 00 - 01:52 AM (#187981)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Bugsy

BK, are you refering to "All The Fine Young Men"?

Cheers

Bugsy


02 Mar 00 - 02:05 AM (#187985)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Seamus Kennedy

Bugsy and Chris/Darwin : whether Finbarr Furey said that or not, whether he meant it or not, he still made a bollocks of the lyrics when he recorded it. Liam Clancy's singing of the song is IMHOP much better. The Fureys had he big hit with it, but not necessarily the best version.


02 Mar 00 - 03:34 AM (#187996)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Chris/Darwin (at work)

Bugsy, Seamus
As I said in my original posting, I never forgave Finbar with stuffing around with the lyrics. As for whether Eric would actually say that - I don't know. I was just fascinated by what Finbar said.

I have heard lots of versions of this song, and played it many times with my own band, and I still think it to be one of the most moving songs ever.

The Fureys version, despite the stuffing around with the lyrics (which I thought was unnecessary - it changed the meaning) is still musically very attractive.

Regards
Chris


02 Mar 00 - 04:40 AM (#188004)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Wolfgang

BK,
On the LP 'Down Under' which is listed as Bootleg on Bogle's homepage though it easily could be bought in Germany from Autograph Records, a small German Folk label. It is a very good LP by the then young Eric Bogle, just singing and acompanying himself on the guitar. I have copied below the tracklist from the Bogle homepage, so you can see that Bogle is singing on the backside of that LP songs that are not from him (three of them, e.g., from Robertson). And he does a great job.

Wolfgang

Eric Bogle, Down Under

(Bootleg!)

Shining River
Poor Wee Billy McMahon
She'll Be Right
For King and Country
No Man's Land
Homeless Man
Wee Pot Stove
Queensland Whalers
Owd Zither
Island in the River Death of Ben Hall


02 Mar 00 - 06:35 AM (#188024)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GeorgeH

To pick up one or two points from the thread . . I've seen an interview with Bogle (in Folk Roots??) where he was asked about others' recordings of his works. Without naming names he suggested some were pretty dreadful (I read this as referring to the Furey's, which I've only head once and thought was a travesty of a great song). However he was appreciative of the original June Tabor recording and of the fact her recording of the song did much to bring him to people's attention in the UK.

Without checking, June hasn't recorded any of Eric's songs with Maddy Prior; they (as "Silly Sisters") have only recorded two albums, and I'd guess that track listings of both are on the Maddy Prior web site. June is on record as saying that they won't record together again, simply because as they've got older her (June's) voice has dropped in pitch while Maddy's has risen, so it's difficult to find material on which they "work" together.

Of course, June is sometimes seen as trying to corner the market in songs of "Doom and Gloom"; we used to have a party game of trying to compare the number of corpses on each of her different recordings (gets tricky when she starts singing about wars and surviving the holocaust . .) The "other" Eric Bogle song she's recorded is "Now I'm Easy", which is also has a modest body count. [Actually, she does have a wicked sense of humour; possibly best displayed in her singing Les Barker's parody of "January Man", entitled "January June" and full of references to other songs in her repetoire.]

G.


05 Mar 00 - 04:10 PM (#189968)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Susanne (skw)

Remembering that some twenty years ago Finbar Furey claimed in an interview with a German folk mag he'd brought about the Irish folk revival single-handed, I feel that man would claim anything. I also remember Eric Bogle telling us on stage at the Tonder Festival about a fellow artist (can't remember the name now) who had flown out to the States particularly to ask him about some of the lyrics in a song of Eric's he was about to record, and then muttering under his breath, 'I wish the Fureys had done the same!' I think it is unlikely he actually said what Finbar heard him say according to Bugsy's posting!

I prefer June Tabor's version and the nicely understated one - sorry for riding my hobby-horse again - by Iain MacKintosh. I'm sorry to hear he is giving up touring this year.

As to the song's history - I haven't found it yet, but George H. told me (correct me if I'm wrong) that in an interview in the Sunday Times around the time of the election of the Labour government in Britain Tony Blair mentioned as his favourite war poem 'No Man's Land', by Eric Bogle, a young poet who died in the First World War ... - Susanne


05 Mar 00 - 09:40 PM (#190121)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,rpm

I heard Eric sing Leaving Nancy and No Man's land in concert in Wilmington, (Newark,Delaware) years ago. His intro was No man's Land and the chat up to Leaving Nancy a real killer.


22 Mar 03 - 08:14 PM (#916268)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Journeys
From: GUEST,skylynn

What a song, I want to learn it.
skylynn


23 Mar 03 - 08:12 PM (#916713)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: The Walrus

Trivia point:
The only "W McBride"s on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Site who fulfils the song's condition are buried at Autuille - on the Somme.
(I've seen the graves)

Alright, I'll admit, I'm a sad git.

Walrus


25 Aug 06 - 06:31 AM (#1818526)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: GUEST,Peter Quaife

Good God! What a load of CRAP you all have written about a simple song like Willy McBride! Alright everybody! Lets us all waken our pathetic musical and imaginary poetic abilities and dissect the poor bloody song until we have mashed it into a porridge of BLAH!
Jeez guys, just accept it for what it is - ITS A MELODIOUS SONG ABOUT THE SECOND WORLD WAR! Simple and honest.
Leave it the hell alone! And let those who enjoy it - ENJOY IT!
Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzz!


25 Aug 06 - 06:36 AM (#1818529)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Paul Burke

It's about the First World War actually. And if you don't want to discuss it, why discuss it?


25 Aug 06 - 06:39 AM (#1818530)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Brakn

GUEST,Peter Quaife so why did you ressurrect this thread? It's been dead three years!

BTW First world war ......not second.


25 Aug 06 - 09:37 AM (#1818681)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Willy Mc Bride
From: Big Mick

You are apparently more informed than the author.

Liner notes for "Eric Bogle -- LIVE" (Autogram ALLP-211, 1977)
"A song about the waste and futility of war. Pure and simple."