To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=22681
21 messages

Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride

26 Jun 00 - 04:17 PM (#247245)
Subject: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,Mike Ireland

Hi I'm looking for a song by Crawford Howard, that is a parody of Green Fields of France. I've searched mudcat and found the letter to Eric from Willie McBride. Once a long time ago I thought the second parody was in the lyric list. This is the one were a singer in a pub is asked for the Green fields of France and he says he dosn't know it (as he is fed up singing it) and the drunk who asked for the song starts to sing it etc.

Thanks

Mike

26 Jun 00 - 04:45 PM (#247267)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Pene Azul

Is this it?

NO MAN'S LAND (3)

PA

26 Jun 00 - 07:56 PM (#247390)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: MartinRyan

That's the Crawford Howard version alright - as I sing it! There's another verse and a chorus sometimes used - but I find it hard to make them work. A search on the forum shoiuld show them up - I think someone filled them in a while back.

Regards

27 Jun 00 - 07:46 PM (#248166)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,Trish

I've heard Tich Frier sing that in Edinburgh - at least, I think it was Tich. Anyone know (in similar vein) "He boogered up the Fields of Athenry??"

28 Jun 00 - 10:14 AM (#248484)
Subject: Lyr Add: NO MAN'S LAND (Eric Bogle)
From: GUEST,Richie

NO MAN'S LAND
Words and music by Eric Bogle
As recorded by Eric Bogle on "Scraps of Paper" (1983)

Well, how d'you do, Private Willie McBride?
D'you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?
And I'll rest for a while in the warm summer sun.
I've been walkin' all day, Lord, and I'm nearly done.
I see by your gravestone you were only 19
When you joined the glorious fallen in 1916.
Well, 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 sound the fife lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugles sing The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play The Floo'ers o' the Forest?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some faithful heart is your mem'ry enshrined?
And though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
Forever enshrined behind some glass pane,
In an old photograph torn and tattered and stained,
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame? CHORUS

Well, the sun's shining now on these green fields of France.
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches have vanished long under the plough,
No gas and no barbed wire, no guns firing now,
But here in this graveyard it's still "No Man's Land".
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indiff'rence to his fellow man,
And a whole generation who were butchered and damned. CHORUS

And I can't help but wonder now, Willie McBride,
Do all those who lie here know why they did died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
The suff'ring, the sorrow, the glory, the shame,
The killing, the dying—it was all done in vain,
For, Willie McBride, it all happened again,
And again, and again, and again, and again. CHORUS

Did the bugles sing The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play The Floo'ers o' the Forest?

HTML line breaks added, and title corrected. --JoeClone, 17-Sep-02.

28 Jun 00 - 12:37 PM (#248556)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,John Hill

How many times must it be said that this song is not called "The green fields of france" its called "No man's land" you only have to look at Eric Bogle's record to see that. Why on earth can't people call things by their proper names. This is a copyright song... it doesn't have another name.


In fact recording it under another name or making a parody of it is a breach of copyright and is illegal without permission of the owner.

28 Jun 00 - 01:05 PM (#248566)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Wolfgang

John Hill writes: "making a parody of (a song) is a breach of copyright and is illegal without permission of the owner".
That's new to me. Is that really true?

Wolfgang

28 Jun 00 - 06:09 PM (#248758)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Liz the Squeak

No. Recording a parody to the real tune without asking the authors permission to use that tune is an offence. Pubishing a parody is not (unless its a really BAD parody), because you have changed the content and thus made it your own. There are people who get snotty about others parodying their work, but can do nothing about it unless the parodier wants to record it. An example is this; Ralph McTell wrote 'Streets of London'. A group of football supporters 'borrowed' the song and changed one word - the name of the city - and sang it on the terraces. Ralph can do nothing whilst 2000 fans sing it on the terraces, BUT as soon as a TV programme wants to record it for part of a quiz question ('They think it's all over', for the 'what comes next' round) he can threaten legal action and get the changed word bleeped out or prevent it from being aired at all.

OK? Of course, it may be different in the US, things usually are.....

LTS

28 Jun 00 - 07:30 PM (#248804)
Subject: Lyr Add: NOBODY'S MOGGY LANDS
From: Branwen23

I know a parody to that song... I don't know if it's the one you're thinking of...

It's called "NOBODY'S MOGGY LANDS"
It's about a cat named Moggy who's become roadkill...

It starts:

Well, how are you doing, old Moggy the Cat?
I noticed you lying where I almost sat.
Do you mind if I push you on o'er to the side?
I've been walking all day on the road where you died.

Chorus:

Did he honk the horn loudly, did you stand your ground proudly?
Did a shadow pass o'er you as the truck mowed you down?
Did you die with a yowl and a big fuss?
Did the birds come pick at your carcass?

I have the rest of the lyrics... If this is the one you're thinking of, I can post the complete version.

Branwen.

--- Line breaks added ---
--- PA ---

29 Jun 00 - 06:59 AM (#249054)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST

Hello again
When I said "making" a parody I meant making a recording of it not just singing one. Its certainly something to be careful of... the original writer could easily take umbridge especially if it pokes fun at the original song.
I heard the parody in question sung on monday by Ken Kenny (Enda Kenny's brother) he said that it was written by Finbar Boyne, not a name I'm familliar with... but neither are those attributed to the parody in the DT

29 Jun 00 - 10:43 AM (#249157)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: MartinRyan

Jon

I suspect it was Finbar Boyle your contact referred to - but in fact it was Crawford Howard who wrote the parody.

Regards

29 Jun 00 - 11:26 AM (#249184)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,John Hill

I'm sure you are right Martin. Like I said he isn't known to me. My apologies if he reads this. I first heard it last year when someone did it at a singaround at Cleethorpes folk festival... I thought it was great.

29 Jun 00 - 06:15 PM (#249469)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,Mike Ireland

Hi Thanks everyone. Pene Azul got it in one. I'd love to see the rest of 'Nobodys Moggy land' by Branwen23 if you wouldn't mind posting it.

Thanks again

Mike

29 Jun 00 - 06:25 PM (#249472)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,Woozel

The parody by Bronwen23 sounds fun - can you post the rest of it please?

29 Jun 00 - 06:28 PM (#249474)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,John Hill

Reading though the lyrics to the parody in the DT it says that "on the brew" is Belfast slang for on the dole. Thats not true...its Scottish. Eric Bogle uses the expression in one of his songs and says its Scottish slang on the record sleeve. So I'm sure thats where the person who did wrote the parody must have got it from.

30 Jun 00 - 03:14 AM (#249663)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: MartinRyan

John

Just because it's one, doesn't mean its not the other as well! Its no surprise that Belfast slang would include some Scots. I think the phrase is basically a corruption of "on the borough" i.e. dependant on locally paid unemployment assistance!

Regards

30 Jun 00 - 03:21 AM (#249665)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Wolfgang

The parody 'Nobody's Moggy's Land' is in the DT database (upper right corner search window)!

Wolfgang

30 Jun 00 - 10:55 AM (#249777)
Subject: Lyr Add: NOBODY'S MOGGY LANDS
From: Branwen23

Here you go:

NOBODY'S MOGGY LANDS
(Tune: "No-man's Land," by Eric Bogle)
(Words: Unknown, but doubtless depraved individual)

Well, how are you doing, old Moggy the Cat?
I just noticed you lying where I almost sat.
Do you mind if I push you a bit to the side?
I've been walking all day on the road where you died.

You've been squashed like a butterfly pressed between glass.
Were you hit by a truck that was moving too fast?
Did he slam on the brakes as he saw you go past?
Or, Moggy the Cat, did he step on the gas?

CHORUS: Did he honk the horn loudly?
Did you stand your ground proudly?
Did a shadow fall o'er you as the truck mowed you down?
Did you die with a yowl and a big fuss?
Did the birds come and pick at your carcass?

The ground squirrels and mice all seem happy today.
The butterflies frolic and hummingbirds play.
A mockingbird sits there composing a dirge
'Till he finally yields to his scavenger urge.

The robins and sparrows all join in the feast
In their joyous relief that the terror has ceased,
And the birds dance around you, not sad in the least,
Like the Munchkins danced over the Witch of the East.

(Chorus)

Old Moggy the Cat, I sure wish I knew why
You road-kills look so damned surprised when you die.
Did you think that some animal spirit survives?
Did you really believe that a cat has nine lives?

Well, if that is true, this is life number ten,
Getting ever more flat, spinning 'round now and then,
As the cars run you over again and again,
And again and again and again and again!

(Chorus)

HTML line breaks added, and title corrected. --JoeClone, 17-Sep-02.

30 Jun 00 - 07:09 PM (#250042)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: GUEST,dan evergreen

A parody of a song about a youth who died in the Great War, the horrors of which are beyond our imaginations, now that's a high form of humor.

30 Jun 00 - 08:54 PM (#250067)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Amergin

I sure find it very funny.

01 Jul 00 - 09:02 PM (#250337)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Parody of Willie McBride
From: Alan of Australia

G'day,
Interesting about "Nobody's Moggy-Land". Bogle wrote a song called "Nobody's Moggie Now", different words & tune but the same story.

Cheers,
Alan