Green Fields of France

Agricola

Theres going to be a family gathering over Xmas which Im pretty sure will end up with abit of a singsong. Ive always been just an interested observer before at these but this time I was thinking of giving it a lash with the song in the title. Ive always liked it and have recently got the lyrics down.
Im just wondering what peoples opinions on it are. My father always said alot of Irish people viewed it in the same light as the poppy itself, given what the song is about. Others just like it for what it is itself.

SomeFool

Great song, anit-war, no other agenda there.

Kevin Bacon

Used to sing that song in primary school but I googled the song and we never sang the last two verses just the first two ie not the one mentioning poppies. Only occured to me later in life that we sang that song along with loads of rebel songs and wolfe tone stuff. Think the teacher was a bit of a republican trying to force the opinion through osmosis or something.

Id see nothing wrong with singing it though its a good song, never knew it was considered English I always thought it was an Irish tune.

Senna

You've learned the lyrics, does it really mater what anyone on here thinks?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Could be worse. Could by the fields of Athenry.

Kevin Bacon

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Could be worse. Could by the fields of Athenry.

Most Definitely

Run_to_da_hills

The white fields of France at the moment.

Ticktactoe

Its a song about a young solider who died in world war, not the british.

Great song!

biko

Good song but don't sing it.
It's 30 mins long!

How about the SAM song? About a boy named Sam I think, never really listened to the lyrics.

Hockney

Good song provided you actually know all the lyrics. Know the verses lyrics backwards.

Half the times you hear it sung the singer is absolutely bladdered, chokes after the first chorus and either balls straight back into the chorus or repeats the first verse. Kinda ruins a good song for me.

In fairness though it's Christmas time, happy/funny songs are better, Seamus Moore all the way!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Ticktactoe wrote: »

Its a song about a young solider who died in world war, not the british.

Great song!

The problem that some ignorant lesser intelligent beings have with this song, is that it is about a young BRITISH soldier... What people fail to see is that soldiers are soldiers, no matter what country they are fighting for. This young lad was like any other young lad going to war, just following orders, more than likely not truely knowing why he was fighting for. More than likely, he was fighting for the exact same thing the enemy was fighting for, be it true or not. Soldiers are not given a brief on the complexities of politics, and the reasons behind the push. They are given objectives and orders to follow. They do what any good soldier does, obey the commanding ranks.

It's disgusting to think that the ignorant ra heads in modern day Ireland detest this song because the dead soldier in the song is British. He died like any other victim of war. Those who think otherwise need a good kick up the hole.

It's not only a good song, it's a great song. Sing it loud and sing it proud.

General Zod

Learn the Wolfe Tones version, and everyones happy.

CountingCrows

British war, don't sing it, Sing Arthur McBride instead.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

CountingCrows wrote: »

British war, don't sing it, Sing Arthur McBride instead.

Typical ignorant post. :rolleyes: Did you even bother read the thread? Of course you didn't.

ejmaztec

I like these happy Christmas threads, they bring a tear to my eye.:pac:

CountingCrows

Camdyn Agreeable Mouth wrote: »

Typical ignorant post. :rolleyes: Did you even bother read the thread? Of course you didn't.

OP - "Im just wondering what peoples opinions on it are"

I gave my opinion and didn't comment on others opinions, grow up.

kincsem

Sing it.
I'm not a fan of Irish people who think they are more Irish than other Irish people and believe they can dictate to other Irish people.

Dave!

Wow you're giving this alot of thought

It's a great song, give it a bash

I recall last Paddy's Day me singing that accapella in a pub for some Aussie couple :eek: Jesus what was I thinking, it must have been horrendous !

lee_arama

Enough Irish died over there too, along with a shed load of Americans, Australians, Kiwis, and Canadians; and that's only on one side of the continent.

Whatever people think about the current wars (I'm of the opinion that Blair is guilty of warcrimes for entering into an illegal war) WWI aka The Great War was something that should never be trivialised.

It's also a good song, and someone knowing all the verses is rare enough over here (I used sing it the odd time whilst gatting with the gang, along with James Connolly, and a few other Furey numbers).

It's also worth noting that the Willie McBride from the song was in all likelihood Irish (as his name suggests), and a member of the Enniskillen Fusiliers, who have a fine military history indeed - not to be confused with the mounted units listed as having fought at Waterloo and at Balaclava.

patmac

There are a few spoof versions I have heard. One of them is this:


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"!

Well you say you don't know it but this will not do
For now he's determined to sing it to you
So he spills half your drink and starts off in a key
That was never invented on land or on sea
And as time goes by sure the whole thing gets worse
For you soon realise that he knows every verse!
With his arm round your shoulder - 'cos now he's your friend
He's going to sing the damn thing to the end!

You go out to the Gents for a quarter of an hour
And you watch the TV in the old public bar
And then you come back thinking that he will tire
But he's still going on about gas and barbed wire!
And ten minutes later you're all in a trance
For he's up to his oxters in the Green Fields of France
The crowd are all quiet, you wont hear a peep
Does he not realise they've all gone to sleep?

Ah Willie Mc Bride, why the hell did you die?
The trouble you'd have saved if you'd come back alive
And got a wee job or signed "on the brew"*
We'd not have to listen to songs about you!
But still I don't know but I'm glad that you're dead
With the green fields of France piled on top of your head
For the trouble you caused since the day that you died
- Shooting's too good for you, Willie Mc Bride!

Agricola

Cheers patmac, I might keep that one for another time. Ill have trouble enough not getting bogged down in the original after several cans and afew bacardis!

Opinion seems to be what I expected, which is nice. Its probably a generational thing. Some older people may still have hangups about it but thats about it.

zonEEE

Just listened to it, hadn't heard it in ages. Really like the drop kick murphys cover. Its a lot better then the sh1te they usually come out with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5s4wjOmW_M

Ticktactoe

Camdyn Agreeable Mouth wrote: »

The problem that some ignorant lesser intelligent beings have with this song, is that it is about a young BRITISH soldier... What people fail to see is that soldiers are soldiers, no matter what country they are fighting for. This young lad was like any other young lad going to war, just following orders, more than likely not truely knowing why he was fighting for. More than likely, he was fighting for the exact same thing the enemy was fighting for, be it true or not. Soldiers are not given a brief on the complexities of politics, and the reasons behind the push. They are given objectives and orders to follow. They do what any good soldier does, obey the commanding ranks.

It's disgusting to think that the ignorant ra heads in modern day Ireland detest this song because the dead soldier in the song is British. He died like any other victim of war. Those who think otherwise need a good kick up the hole.

It's not only a good song, it's a great song. Sing it loud and sing it proud.

I like the song because its written about a hard worker who after a hard days work in the sun, sits down beside Willie McBrides gravestone and starts thinking about Willies life and his death.

3qsmavrod5twfe

Just do Spancil Hill.

\thread