About a month ago, I searched the web trying to find if this song was a spoof of an original song to the same tune. It really sounds like it should be. But I was unable to find any "original song". If you've got any information where the tune came from or who wrote it, I'd be curious!
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye (lyrics from Clancy Brothers version)
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo While 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 guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your guns and drums and drums and guns, The enemy nearly slew ye Oh my 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 skidaddle from me and the child Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo Where are the legs with which you run, When first you went for to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
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 and ye haven't a leg, Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg Ye'll have to put with a bowl out to beg Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
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 Saloam; So low in flesh, so high in bone Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo With your guns and drums and drums and guns, The enemy never slew ye Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer Johnny I hardly knew ye.
[I was, for some seemingly random reason, raised on Celtic music.]
aha! This jogged my memory a bit and now I was able to recall the song I've actually heard before... must be a bastardized version of the irish one:
"Johnny Comes Marching Home" (http://www.acws.co.uk/songs/johnny.htm)
Interestingly, the song changed from an anti-war song to a pro-war song in the process of adaptation. Funny how that happens!
Anyway, thanks for digging up the title /lyrics, I can't believe I didn't find it when I searched before. If I'd only remembered "johnny" I would have gotten it. Mystery solved! :)
>With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo >With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo >With your guns and drums and drums and guns,
I like to imagine this being sung a la the Cranberries "Zombie"...
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(lyrics from Clancy Brothers version)
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While 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 guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns,
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my 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 skidaddle from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the legs with which you run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the legs with which you run,
When first you went for to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
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 and ye haven't a leg,
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye'll have to put with a bowl out to beg
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye
(Chorus)
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 Saloam;
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns,
The enemy never slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
[I was, for some seemingly random reason, raised on Celtic music.]
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"Johnny Comes Marching Home" (http://www.acws.co.uk/songs/johnny.htm)
Interestingly, the song changed from an anti-war song to a pro-war song in the process of adaptation. Funny how that happens!
Anyway, thanks for digging up the title /lyrics, I can't believe I didn't find it when I searched before. If I'd only remembered "johnny" I would have gotten it. Mystery solved! :)
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>With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
>With your guns and drums and drums and guns,
I like to imagine this being sung a la the Cranberries "Zombie"...
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i was thinking "tobin? posting lyrics? nooooo"