Garryowen

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For other uses, see Garryowen (disambiguation).
Crest of the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment
Crest of the U.S. 69th Infantry Regiment
Crest of the U.S. Seventh Cavalry Regiment
Crest of the U.S. Seventh Cavalry Regiment

Garryowen, also known as Garyowen, Garry Owen and Gary Owens, is an Irish dance tune (MIDI file) of the 1800s which became the marching tune for the 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Militia, (the famed "Fighting 69th" ) in the mid-1800's. The "Fighting 69th" adopted Garry Owen before the Civil War and recently brought it back to combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom

It later became the marching tune for the US 7th Cavalry Regiment during the late 1800's. The tune was a favorite of General George Armstrong Custer and became the official air of the Regiment in 1867. According to legend it was the last tune played before the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The name of the tune has become a part of the regiment, the words Garry Owen are part of the regimental crest, and there is a Camp Garry Owen, north of Seoul, Korea, which houses part of the 4th Squadron of the regiment.The Seventh Cavalry regiment became a part of the US 1st Cavalry Division in 1921, and "Garryowen" became the official tune of the division in 1981.

The tune has also been associated with a number of British military units, and is the authorised regimental march of The Irish Regiment of Canada. It was the regimental march of the Liverpool Irish Regiment, England. The Gary Owen March is also the official corps song of Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee Wisconsin.

The word garryowen is derived from Irish, the proper name Oein and the word for garden garrai - thus "Owen's Garden".

[edit] Lyrics

1. Let Bacchus' sons be not dismayed
But join with me, each jovial blade
Come, drink and sing and lend your aid
To help me with the chorus:


Chorus:

Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.


2. We are the boys who take delight
In smashing limerick lamps at night,
And through the street like sportsters fight,
Tearing all before us
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.


3. We'll break the windows, we'll break down doors,
The watch knock down by threes and fours,
And let the doctors work their cures,
And tinker up our bruised
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.


4. We'll beat the bailiffs out of fun,
We'll make the mayor and sheriffs run
We are the boys no man dares dun
If he regards a whole skin.
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.


5. Our hearts so stout have got us fame
For soon 'tis known from whence we came
Where'er we go they fear the name
Of Garryowen in glory.
Instead of spa, we'll drink brown ale
And pay the reckoning on the nail;
No man for debt shall go to jail
From Garryowen in glory.

[edit] External resources

The Digital Tradition database has a number of entries about this tune.

Historical Resources

[edit] References

Some information taken from the resources listed above.

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