There's a Valley in Spain called Jarama (Song)

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"El Valle del Jarama"
("There's a Valley in Spain Called Jarama")
Written by Alex McDade
Music by traditional, Red River Valley
Published 1938
Language English, Spanish
Recorded by Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Tom Glazer, Arlo Guthrie

This song from the Second Spanish Republic is also known as Jarama Valley and El Valle del Jarama. The tune is Red River Valley.

It refers to the Battle of Jarama, a Spanish Civil War battle. The battle was fought from 6-27 February 1937, in the Jarama river valley a few kilometres east of Madrid. The seasoned troops of Franco's Army of Africa assaulted positions held by the inexperienced and ill-equipped volunteers of the International Brigades. It ended in stalemate, with both sides entrenching. At the end of three weeks, the death count was high. The British Battalion lost 225 of its 600 men [1]; and the Lincoln Battalion lost 125 out of 500[2].

[edit] Original four-verse versions

The earliest known version was written by Alex McDade, of the British Battalion, XV International Brigade and published in XV International Brigade, by the Commissariat of War, Madrid, 1938. It is a humorously cynical soldier's song; grumbling about the boredom, lack of leave and lack of female company. Alex McDade was a political commissar, responsible for the men's welfare. He was wounded at Jarama. Perhaps he wrote the song to focus his comrades' minds on something other than the casualties. The provenance of the other early version is unknown but, from the lyrics, it was probably written for (or evolved at) post-War veterans reunions.

Early version

There’s a Valley in Spain called Jarama,
That's a place that we all know so well,
for 'tis there that we wasted our manhood,
And most of our old age as well.

From this valley they tell us we're leaving
But don't hasten to bid us adieu
For e'en though we make our departure
We'll be back in an hour or two[3]

Oh, we're proud of our British Battalion, [4]
And the marathon record it's made,
Please do us this one little favour
And take this last word to Brigade:

"You will never be happy with strangers,
They would not understand you as we,
So remember the Jarama Valley
And the old men who wait patiently".

Reunion version

There’s a Valley in Spain called Jarama,
It’s a place that we all know so well,
It is there that we gave of our manhood,
And most of our brave comrades fell.

We are proud of the British Battalion,[5]
And the stand for Madrid that they made,
For they fought like true sons of the soil.
As part of the Fifteenth Brigade[6].

With the rest of the international column,
In the stand for the freedom of Spain
We swore in the valley of Jarama
That fascism never will reign.

Now we’ve left that dark valley of sorrow
And its memories of regret,
So before we continue this reunion
Let us stand to our glorious dead.

[edit] Three-verse versions: Jarama Valley / El Valle del Jarama

This shorter (three-verse) version of the song—with variant versions [7]—are something of an anthem for veterans, particularly those from the Abraham Lincoln Battalion. Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger have recorded it. In addition to this version, other Spanish variants exist[8].

Jarama Valley

There's a valley in Spain called Jarama
It's a place that we all love so well
It was there that we gave of our manhood
Where so many of our brave comrades fell.

We are proud of the Lincoln Battalion[9]
And the fight for Madrid that it made
There we fought like true sons of the people
As part of the Fifteenth Brigade.

Now we're far from that valley of sorrow
But its memory we ne'er will forget
So before we conclude this reunion
Let us stand to our glorious dead.

El Valle del Jarama

Hay un valle en España llamado Jarama
 es un lugar que nosotros conocemos bien.
 Fue allí donde dimos nuestra virilidad
 y donde cayeron nuestros valientes camaradas.

Estamos orgullosos del Batallón Lincoln
 y de la lucha que hizo por Madrid.
 Allí luchamos como verdaderos hijos del pueblo
 como parte de la Quince Brigada.

Ahora estamos lejos de aquel valle de dolor
 pero su memoria nunca olvidaremos;
 Así que antes de que continuemos esta reunión
 pongámonos en pie por nuestros gloriosos muertos.

[edit] Footnotes and links

  1. ^ Antony Beevor, The Battle for Spain, p. 211
  2. ^ Antony Beevor, The Battle for Spain, p. 214
  3. ^ Refers to brief leave at Alcala de Henares at the beginning of May
  4. ^ Or Lincoln Battalion or Dimitrov Battalion
  5. ^ Or Lincoln Battalion or Dimitrov Battalion
  6. ^ XV International Brigade
  7. ^ Other English version
  8. ^ Other Spanish versions
  9. ^ Or British Battalion or Dimitrov Battalion