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rurallib

(64,688 posts)
67. "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" wasn't always a exultation
Mon Mar 31, 2014, 04:31 PM
Mar 2014

of war. Before it became that it was one of the very early songs about the horrors of war. My understanding anyway.
Here is the Irish Rovers with "Johnny, I hardly knew Ye" - a lament on war:



When goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
When goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
When goin' the road to sweet Athy
A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ye.

(chorus)
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and guns and drums
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.

Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild
When my poor heart you first beguiled
Why did ye run from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.

Where are the legs we looked you run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the legs we looked you run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the legs that looked you run
But first you went to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.

Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
You'll have to be left with a bowl out to beg
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.

I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home
All from the island of Sulloon
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.

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The men of Kent have met today to put oppression down struggle4progress Mar 2014 #1
That was a new one for me Momgonepostal Mar 2014 #4
Protest song Downwinder Mar 2014 #2
Now that your big eyes have finally opened struggle4progress Mar 2014 #3
I think her Universal Soldier aint_no_life_nowhere Mar 2014 #33
her rendition of that one really is breath-taking struggle4progress Mar 2014 #44
"The Message" Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Coventina Mar 2014 #5
... Well, the only chains that we can stand are the chains of hand in hand struggle4progress Mar 2014 #6
A classic: Brigid Mar 2014 #7
Well, how do you do, Private William McBride? struggle4progress Mar 2014 #8
Eric's song!! DFW Apr 2014 #73
And another: Brigid Mar 2014 #9
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding Coventina Mar 2014 #10
That's my favorite. Arugula Latte Mar 2014 #64
La complainte du partisan struggle4progress Mar 2014 #11
"Give Peace a Chance" John & Yoko Coventina Mar 2014 #12
Enjoyed singing that during the Iraq war protests in DC. n/t DebJ Mar 2014 #36
And a very old one performed by the one only Bruce Springsteen: Brigid Mar 2014 #13
Dear Mister Editor if you choose please send me a copy of the labor news struggle4progress Mar 2014 #14
There once was a time when everything was cheap struggle4progress Mar 2014 #15
And no list of protest songs would be complete without this one: Brigid Mar 2014 #16
Hokoyo! struggle4progress Mar 2014 #17
.. No man can know them struggle4progress Mar 2014 #18
No more chant your old rhymes about bold Robin Hood his feats struggle4progress Mar 2014 #19
Don't be too polite girls! struggle4progress Mar 2014 #20
... wherever the eye watches struggle4progress Mar 2014 #21
my life goes on in endless song struggle4progress Mar 2014 #22
Industrial Workers of the World, Song Book, 1915 Downwinder Mar 2014 #23
Grrr...no Dylan yet? Only a Pawn in Their Game hibbing Mar 2014 #24
Something in the Air Skittles Mar 2014 #25
Here is one from REM. TexasTowelie Mar 2014 #26
Great choice! Coventina Mar 2014 #58
Alice's Restaurant. mzteris Mar 2014 #27
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag kwassa Mar 2014 #28
That was my favorite DFW Apr 2014 #74
A dear friend lives on the same block as Country Joe McDonald KamaAina Apr 2014 #89
Add this one Adsos Letter Mar 2014 #29
Chicago struggle4progress Mar 2014 #31
Man, were those some days, or what? Adsos Letter Mar 2014 #45
Whenever somebody tells me that "May you live in interesting times" is an old Chinese curse, struggle4progress Mar 2014 #49
Don't forget the Pete Seeger song that got the Smothers Brothers in hot water with CBS kath Mar 2014 #30
Took long enough for that one to get posted gratuitous Mar 2014 #34
Another classic: kath Mar 2014 #32
Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll struggle4progress Mar 2014 #38
Fugs -- Kill For Peace... GReedDiamond Mar 2014 #35
The Bargehaulers struggle4progress Mar 2014 #37
Here's three more from the 90s and 2000s. Systematic Chaos Mar 2014 #39
And one from the '80's (not strictly protest in the sense of the others posted) Adsos Letter Mar 2014 #46
Excellent choice! Systematic Chaos Mar 2014 #47
Mississippi Goddam struggle4progress Mar 2014 #40
One of the most achingly sad protest songs ever: Aristus Mar 2014 #41
Plane wreck at Los Gatos struggle4progress Mar 2014 #42
Perhaps the ultimate protest song aint_no_life_nowhere Mar 2014 #43
An anthem of the generalized protest of an era Adsos Letter Mar 2014 #48
Here's some more Doc_Technical Mar 2014 #50
Gorillaz - Dirty Harry "The war is over So said the speaker with the flight suit on" azurnoir Mar 2014 #51
Can a campaign song also be a protest song? Downwinder Mar 2014 #52
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Fortunate Son Lasher Mar 2014 #53
Fogerty also wrote an Iraq War protest song in 2004: Deja Vu (All Over Again) pinboy3niner Mar 2014 #55
Phil Ochs-I Ain't Marching Anymore hobbit709 Mar 2014 #54
hoping this one was in there rurallib Mar 2014 #66
Phil Ochs. End of story. WinkyDink Mar 2014 #56
I've always felt this was one of the best protest songs mulsh Mar 2014 #57
"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" the Ramones Coventina Mar 2014 #59
"Fucked up Ronnie" by DOA FSogol Apr 2014 #77
"We Got the Power" by the Dropkick Murphys FSogol Apr 2014 #78
"Let Them Eat War" by Bad Religon FSogol Apr 2014 #79
"Kids Today" by the Dwarves FSogol Apr 2014 #80
"Times Up" by the Donots FSogol Apr 2014 #81
"Give it All" by Rise Against FSogol Apr 2014 #82
"That's Progess" by Jello Biafra FSogol Apr 2014 #83
"Revolution" by Authority Zero FSogol Apr 2014 #84
"Clampdown" by the Clash FSogol Apr 2014 #85
Try these... lame54 Mar 2014 #60
Where is the Love: Raine1967 Mar 2014 #61
Country Joe and the Fish AgingAmerican Mar 2014 #62
2+2 Bob Seger (Bob Seger System) Little_Wing Mar 2014 #63
This one is very recent (last summer) from a young band called The Orwells: Arugula Latte Mar 2014 #65
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" wasn't always a exultation rurallib Mar 2014 #67
Songbook from Wisconsin's Solidarity Singers snacker Mar 2014 #68
Broken English hobbit709 Apr 2014 #69
Does Springsteen's "Born in the USA" count? Arkana Apr 2014 #70
Nearly every Napalm Death song is a protest song OriginalGeek Apr 2014 #71
The Fish Cheer/I feel like I'm Fixin To Die Rag (from 1969) chknltl Apr 2014 #72
Peter, Paul and Mary: "If I Had a Hammer," March on Washington 1963 Rhiannon12866 Apr 2014 #75
The English Civil War shenmue Apr 2014 #76
"Not my President, Not My War" by the Compassionate Conservatives KurtNYC Apr 2014 #86
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. kwassa Apr 2014 #87
"Mothers, Daughters, Wives" raccoon Apr 2014 #88
Tom Dooley KamaAina Apr 2014 #90
Peter Paul & Mary avebury Apr 2014 #91
Universal Soldier - Donovan Mr.Bill Apr 2014 #92
Five-Man Electrical Band: lastlib Apr 2014 #93
WAR (What is it Good For)...Eve of Destruction....Sky Pilot turner52 Apr 2014 #94
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