The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emancipat (1 Viewer)

[taubstumm]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

please tell me more.

please...

it's true. and i could have sworn that i'd posted it on thumped before... hmm.

andré the giant was born in france in 1946 to parents from eastern europe. he was a giant as a child as well as an adult - the reason he was so big was due to an abnormality with his pituitary gland. one of the problems caused by this was that he couldn't fit onto the school bus because he was so big. his parents, as poor immigrants, had no car, so they asked one of the neighbours to give him a lift to school instead. sam was happy to oblige.

it's on both of their wikipedia pages, too: sam and andré.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

the only ballad song with socialist/union overtones Ive ever heard is a lamment for james connelly; theres apparently two, I was looking for lyrics, but only found one that was much more of the 'bould ira men' crap than the anything more substantial. I think Christy Moore recorded the other (good) one it back in the 60's, its a pretty good song.

i reckon in the socialist element in traditional songs/llterature got elbowed out due to the fairly rabid anti communism of the church. my grandad can remember priests screaming invective agaisnt republican spain and insisting it was the christian duty of every able bodied irish man to go and fight for franco!

These one or other you're talking about?


THE BALLAD OF JAMES LARKIN
(Donagh MacDonagh)

In Dublin City in 1913 the boss was rich and the poor were slaves
The women working, the children starving, then on came Larkin like a mighty wave
The workmen cringed when the boss man thundered, seventy hours was his weekly chore
He asked for little and less was granted, lest gettin' little, then he'd ask for more

But on came Larkin in 1913, a mighty man with a mighty tongue
The voice of labor, the voice of justice, and he was gifted and he was young
God sent Larkin in 1913, a labor man with a union tongue
He raised the workers and gave them courage; he was their hero, the worker's son

It was in August the boss man told us, no union man for him could work
We stood by Larkin and told the boss man, we'd fight or die, but we would not shirk
Eight months we fought and eight months we starved; we stood by Larkin through thick and thin
But food less homes and the crying of children, they broke our hearts, we could not win

When Larkin left us we seemed defeated. The night was black for the working man,
But on came Connolly with hope and counsel. His motto was that we'd rise again
In 1916 in Dublin city, the English soldiers they burnt our town
They shelled the buildings, and shot our leaders; the harp was buried beneath the crown

They shot McDermott and Pearse and Plunkett; they shot McDonagh and Clarke the brave.
From bleak Kilmainham the took their bodies to Arbour Hill to a quicklime game
But last of all of the seven leaders I sing the praise of James Connolly
The voice of labor, the voice of justice, he gave his life that men might be free


Viva la Quinta Brigada
Christy Moore

C G C
Ten years before I saw the light of morning
C F
A comradeship of heroes was laid
F G
From every corner of the world came sailing
G F C
The Fifth International Brigade

They came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising fascist tide
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side

Even the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on
Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the fascist clan

CHORUS


C F
Viva la Quinta Brigada
F G C
"No Pasaran", the pledge that made them fight
C C/B Am
"Adelante" is the cry around the hillside
F G C
Let us all remember them tonight


Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor
Form Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother
Side by side they fought and died in Spain

Tommy Woods age seventeen died in Cordoba
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he fought and died beneath the blazing sun

CHORUS

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew

The word came from Maynooth, "support the Nazis"
The men of cloth failed again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain

CHORUS

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar
Though many died I can but name a few

Danny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls
Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill

CHORUS

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

that eoin o'duffy book i was reading earlier in this thread had a very amusing chapter about the 700 or so fellas that o'duffy brought out to spain to fight for franco. they were a bit of a joke and bailed out again after about 2 months, much to franco's relief. franco himself came to inspect them on st patricks day in whatever year they were there and found them all hammered drunk and firing at each other and generally being indisciplined. meanwhile, o'duffy (their general) was off swanning around on sight seeing tours, staying in expensive hotels and eating well (all at the expensive of those he was fighting for) while his men were at the front being shelled and shot at and digging trenches and burying bodies etc

Was it O'Duffy who supposedly came back with more men than he went to Spain with. Some of the Irish lads on the other side said Eff this and went home with them or something to that effect.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Turd post in a row. On the other side of the fence I've got a recording of an IRA song that was sung during the war that contains the lyrics
"And Hitler will be king of Europe in the morning". It was a pro-Nazi song, on the rationale that when Hitler defeated England, Ireland would somehow be totally free....
The tape was recorded from an auld fellah who lives up North about 10 years ago. This man seemed to have remembered every song he ever heard, verbatim.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Was it O'Duffy who supposedly came back with more men than he went to Spain with. Some of the Irish lads on the other side said Eff this and went home with them or something to that effect.

i dunno, maybe. when they were going out in the first place o'duffy arranged for the germans to transport them out. there was some mix up with this though and not as many could go. those who did go were picked up by a german ship in galway bay. the lads had to go out in high winds and climb 30 or 40 feet up a rope ladder in the dark. a lot turned back at this point i think! also, after that the govt introduced some legislation banning foreign ships coming in and transporting irish people en masse to fight foreign wars.

why is it that songs about historical events and people are nearly always fucking god awful songs? could they not have memorialized these heroes with a good tune? i hate that Viva la Quinta Brigada shite, in fact almost anything that christy moore is involved with after planxty is dreadful. he has a nice voice i suppose.

 

[killy kill]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

THE BALLAD OF JAMES LARKIN
(Donagh MacDonagh)

In Dublin City in 1913 the boss was rich and the poor were slaves
The women working, the children starving, then on came Larkin like a mighty wave
The workmen cringed when the boss man thundered, seventy hours was his weekly chore
He asked for little and less was granted, lest gettin' little, then he'd ask for more

But on came Larkin in 1913, a mighty man with a mighty tongue
The voice of labor, the voice of justice, and he was gifted and he was young
God sent Larkin in 1913, a labor man with a union tongue
He raised the workers and gave them courage; he was their hero, the worker's son

It was in August the boss man told us, no union man for him could work
We stood by Larkin and told the boss man, we'd fight or die, but we would not shirk
Eight months we fought and eight months we starved; we stood by Larkin through thick and thin
But food less homes and the crying of children, they broke our hearts, we could not win

When Larkin left us we seemed defeated. The night was black for the working man,
But on came Connolly with hope and counsel. His motto was that we'd rise again
In 1916 in Dublin city, the English soldiers they burnt our town
They shelled the buildings, and shot our leaders; the harp was buried beneath the crown

They shot McDermott and Pearse and Plunkett; they shot McDonagh and Clarke the brave.
From bleak Kilmainham the took their bodies to Arbour Hill to a quicklime game
But last of all of the seven leaders I sing the praise of James Connolly
The voice of labor, the voice of justice, he gave his life that men might be free



CHORUS

I'm sure Christy Moore was on Reelin' in the Years today singin this

 

[georgestapleton]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

the only ballad song with socialist/union overtones Ive ever heard is a lamment for james connelly; theres apparently two, I was looking for lyrics, but only found one that was much more of the 'bould ira men' crap than the anything more substantial. I think Christy Moore recorded the other (good) one it back in the 60's, its a pretty good song.

There's loads of socialist ballads. James Connolly himself wrote a bookful, almost, http://www.wcml.org.uk/people/jamesc2.htm

And Dominic Behan, Brendan's brother, was a major song write. (He wrote The Patriot Game, McAlpine's Fusilers, Avondale, Come out ye black and tans, and Famine Song for example.) And he wrote literally a book full of songs, most of them socialist tinged. I have it somewhere, its called Ireland Sings or Songs of Ireland or Songs of Irish Struggle or something like that.

And then there's all the songs like springhill mining disaster, joe hill (an anarchist by the by), there's loads of wobblie songs sung in ireland.

Interestingly, here's on for george orwell, in the woody guthrie song about Sacco and Vanzetti there's a line "'Anarchist bastards' was the name the judge he gave these two fine men." Because the judge, before the jury was out, said they were anarchist bastards and he'd put them down. (They were anarchists.) But in the version sung in ireland and sung by christy moore, the line changes to "'Communist bastards' was the name the judge he gave these two fine men." Wiping the fact that Sacco and Vanzetti were anarchists from history. And also making the song factually inaccurate.

Ooooooh. How sinister.

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Apparently, there is a regular song club in Liberty Hall, and old union heads get together and sing labour songs. I keep meaning to go along to it, see what the buzz is like.

There's a guy from SIPTU doing a history of ITGWU/SIPTU and he also printed up a book of labour songs. I forget what it's called, but it was done in the last couple of years, and they've got it in the National Library.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Apparently, there is a regular song club in Liberty Hall, and old union heads get together and sing labour songs. I keep meaning to go along to it, see what the buzz is like.

There's a guy from SIPTU doing a history of ITGWU/SIPTU and he also printed up a book of labour songs. I forget what it's called, but it was done in the last couple of years, and they've got it in the National Library.

finally found this one.

James Connolly
(Patrick Galvin)

Where oh where is our James Connolly ?
Where oh where is that gallant man ?
He is gone to organise the Union
That working men they may yet be free.

Oh who then who will lead the van ?
Oh who then who will lead the van ?
Who but our James Connolly
The hero of the working man.

Who will carry high the burning flag ?
Who will carry high the burning flag ?
Who but our James Connolly
Could carry high the burning flag.

They carried him up to the jail
They carried him up to the jail
And they shot him down on a bright May morning
And quickly laid him in his grave.

Who mourns the death of this great man ?
Who mourns the death of this great man ?
Oh bury me down in yon green garden
With union men on every side.

So they buried him down in yon green garden
With union men on every side
They swore they would form a mighty union
That James Connolly's name might be filled with pride.

Where oh where is our James Connolly ?
Where oh where is that gallant man ?
He is gone to organise the Union
That working men they may yet be free.

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Maybe one of the Roses of Tralee should do a dire labour song as her party piece? Gotta be better than those self-penned poems.

 

[wageslave]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Apparently, there is a regular song club in Liberty Hall, and old union heads get together and sing labour songs. I keep meaning to go along to it, see what the buzz is like.

There's a guy from SIPTU doing a history of ITGWU/SIPTU and he also printed up a book of labour songs. I forget what it's called, but it was done in the last couple of years, and they've got it in the National Library.

I have some mates who went to this once - I don't think its just labour songs though. As far as I know its different themes different nights. They went along, were too shy to sing but promised they'd do a number the next time*. As far as I remember the theme for the next night was 'songs of revenge and murder' or something like that. I could be totally imagining that though.

*they were too shy to turn up and sing the next time too - I think its supposed to be really social though

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

theres another singing club in Mayes at the corner of dorset and north fredrick streets/ never been but heard its enjoyable (if you dont mind waiting out a 20 minute sea shanty before ordering a pint)

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

theres another singing club in Mayes at the corner of dorset and north fredrick streets/ never been but heard its enjoyable (if you dont mind waiting out a 20 minute sea shanty before ordering a pint)

These sound like really good fun, actually. I think I'll have to check 'em out. If I weren't so lazy, I'd try to put together a Thumped song club, though I reckon my a capella version of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" would lack the necessary verve. But if we got the Stoat boys to come along, we'd be well sorted.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

whats your party piece?

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

whats your party piece?

See above. Not a good choice. Iron Maiden never sounds good a capella, no matter how good it feels to sing.

I'm not much of a singer, but I'd be well into belting out a few tunes if other people were singing, too. But one of my favourite things to do if I'm in the house on my own is to stay in the shower until I've sung pretty much all of Joni Mitchell's Blue. I swear, one of these days, my attempts at the high notes in "A Case of You" is gonna shatter the mirror. I usually throw in one or two bonus tracks off Clouds, if I'm not ready to get out even then.

What's yours?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

as far as joni mitchell tunes in the shower go it'd probably be Hejira or Coyote and I enjoy playing A Case Of You on my guitar but not in front of people. i rarely sing in the shower, its too hard what with all the scrubbing and washing. I dunno, i think a lot of modern songs lack a strong melody when you detach them from the rhythm and backing music so i'd probably go for something more traditional down the pub - maybe something like The Bard of Armagh if I was feeling daring. i never sing in public anyway.

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

as far as joni mitchell tunes in the shower go it'd probably be Hejira or Coyote and I enjoy playing A Case Of You on my guitar but not in front of people. i rarely sing in the shower, its too hard what with all the scrubbing and washing. I dunno, i think a lot of modern songs lack a strong melody when you detach them from the rhythm and backing music so i'd probably go for something more traditional down the pub - maybe something like The Bard of Armagh if I was feeling daring. i never sing in public anyway.

I never sing in public, either, which is why I love singing in the shower, or belting out tunes in the house, where I won't be self-conscious about it. I used to do musicals and stuff when I was a kid, and I'm thinking of taking voice lessons, just for fun, not to sing in public, just to give myself the space and time to indulge in it. I think singing is really good for you, even if you never do it in public. That said, I don't think I'll ever give up the fantasy of just belting out a few tunes somewhere in front of people.

Yeah, I can't think of that much modern music that can be done a capella, or even acoustic, without sounding a bit blah. I also specialise in a few Richard and Linda Thompson things, and there are a few tunes on Carole King's Tapestry that are the best catharsis ("Way over Yonder" is a personal favourite).

And I reckon if I did ever sing in public, it'd be some kind of early American folk, the sort that was written to be sung on a porch with a big jug of lemonade and about a million cousins. Only in the last few years have I started to notice that when I did choir as a kid, some of the choir directors chose amazing tunes for us.

Gah, I want to be motivated enough to organise a Thumped song club. Maybe I will kick myself up the arse...

 

[wageslave]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

theres another singing club in Mayes at the corner of dorset and north fredrick streets/ never been but heard its enjoyable (if you dont mind waiting out a 20 minute sea shanty before ordering a pint)

I've heard thats really good too. I never sing in public - in fact i don't know if I could get the lyrics to a whole song together. I allways mean to sort that out though - would come in handy at weddings and sessions with Corkonians.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

Gah, I want to be motivated enough to organise a Thumped song club. Maybe I will kick myself up the arse...

oh lawdy

 

[jane]

Re: The Irish Workers' Republican, Atheist, Birth Control, Civil and Industrial Emanc

I've heard thats really good too. I never sing in public - in fact i don't know if I could get the lyrics to a whole song together. I allways mean to sort that out though - would come in handy at weddings and sessions with Corkonians.

See, if we did a few Thumped song clubs, we could put together some lyric booklets so that everyone could join in. It'd be deadly. I'd say the eirecore folks would be especially trad-tastic.

EDIT: Shaney, I'm really into this idea now. But don't worry, some shiny thing will come along and distract me soon enough.