Croppies Lie Down

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"Croppies Lie Down" is an anonymous Irish Protestant anti-republican folksong dating from the eighteenth century.

This song illustrates the deep divisions which existed in Ireland at the time of the 1798 rebellion. The United Kingdom was at war with revolutionary France at the time, and Irish nationalists were encouraged by rumours that France would invade the island. The lyrics describe the rebels as treacherous cowards and those fighting them as brave defenders of the innocent. The song celebrates the triumph of the King's forces and the suppression of the republican and nationalist rebels.

"Croppies" meant people with closely cropped hair, a fashion associated with the French revolutionaries, in contrast to the wigs favoured by the aristocracy.

The song's title is cited by some republicans to illustrate a perceived desire by loyalists or unionists to continue the historical oppression of their community. ^[1]

The lyrics to the song begin:

We soldiers of Erin, so proud of the name

We'll raise on the rebels and Frenchmen our fame;

We'll fight to the last in the honest old cause,

And guard our religion, our freedom and laws;

We'll fight for our country, our King and his crown,

And make all the traitors and croppies lie down.

Down, down, croppies lie down.

There follow several verses which depict the singers' view of the rebels as cowardly and treacherous:

The rebels so bold, when they've none to oppose,

To houses and haystacks are terrible foes;

They murder poor parsons and likewise their wives,

At the sight of a soldier they run for their lives;

Whenever we march over country and town

In ditches and cellars the croppies lie down.

Down, down, croppies lie down

In Dublin the traitors were ready to rise

And murder was seen in their lowering eyes

With poison, the cowards, they aimed to succeed

And thousands were doomed by the assassins to bleed

But the yeoman advanced, of rebels the dread

And each croppy soon hid his dastardly head

Down, down, croppies lie down

The fear of a French invasion is referred to:

Should France e'er attempt, by fraud or by guile,

Her forces to land on Erin's green isle,

We'll show that they n'er can make free soldiers,slaves,

They shall only possess our green fields for their graves;

Our country's applauses our triumphs will crown,

Whilst with their French brothers the croppies lie down.

Down, down, croppies lie down

The final verse concludes menacingly:

Oh, croppies ye'd better be quiet and still

Ye shan't have your liberty, do what ye will

As long as salt water is formed in the deep

A foot on the necks of the croppy we'll keep

And drink, as in bumpers past troubles we drown,

A health to the lads that made croppies lie down

Down, down, croppies lie down.