Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
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"Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye"[1] is a popular Irish traditional anti-war and anti-recruiting song. It is the basis for the American popular song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", as Patrick Gilmore announced to the public that he had taken the tune for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" from "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" in 1883. Although no published version is known to pre-date the 1863 "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again" [2], the Irish song is generally dated to the early 19th century, when Irish troops served the British East India Company. The original refers to the soldiers from Athy, County Kildare that fought in "Sulloon" (Ceylon - now Sri Lanka) for the East India Company. It has become a definitive anti-war song.
The song is also known as Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye, and Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya.
The following is the version most commonly sung today. The last verse appears to be a relatively recent addition and does not appear in the version presented in Padraic Colum's (1922) Anthology of Irish Verse [3]. Some common variations follow the lyrics.
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[edit] Lyrics
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 the hand and a drop in the eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
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 nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild
When my heart you so beguiled?
Why did ye skedaddle from me and the child?
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run
When you went for to carry a gun
To be sure but your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew ye.
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 Ceylon
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
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, ye haven't a leg,
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg,
Ye'll have to be put with a bowl to beg,
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They're rolling out the guns again,
But they never will take our sons again,
No they never will take our sons again,
Johnny I'm swearing to ye.
[edit] Variations
- The repeating chorus line "With your drums and guns and drums and guns" is sometimes sung as "With your drums and guns and guns and drums." or "With your guns and drums and drums and guns." as in the Dropkick Murphys version.
- "Why did ye skedaddle from me and the child?" sometimes replaces "Why did ye run from me and the child?"
- "Where are the legs with which you run?" sometimes replaces "Where are the legs that used to run?"
- Steeleye Span recorded an adaptation of the song, called "Fighting for strangers" on their album Rocket Cottage. Their version is substantially different, but bears the refrain "Johnny, what've they done to you" or "Johnny what'll happen to you". The other similarity is in the last verse
You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg
The enemy nearly slew you
You'll have to go out on the streets to beg
Oh, poor Johnny, what've they done to you?
- Liverpool FC fans have also created a song about their Spanish striker Fernando Torres to this tune. the verse goes:
"His armband proved he was a red - Torres, Torres"
"You'll never walk alone it said - Torres, Torres"
"We bought the lad from sunny Spain"
"He gets the ball he scores again"
"Fer-nan-do Torres Liverpool's number 9."
RTK - Kop songs to sing @ Thisisanfield.com
[edit] Other
- A book by Kenneth O'Donnell about the truncated presidency of John F. Kennedy was titled, Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye. It was published in 1983, six years after O'Donnell's death.
- Folk singer Joan Baez often included the song in her concert sets during the early to mid 1970's as a statement against the Vietnam War and all wars in general.
- The Tossers recorded a version of this song in the 90s, and it was later included on the compilation Communication & Conviction: Last Seven Years, which includes everything they have done before 2000.
- The Dropkick Murphys included a version of this song on their 2007 release, The Meanest of Times and was later selected as a downloadable song for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on March 13, 2008.
- The most frequently played version is performed by Faye Ringel (AKA "Mad Riffz" Ringel) from her smash CD "Hot Chestnuts". "Hot Chestnuts" hit store shelves in 2006 when the song topped the top 100 list for three consecutive weeks.
