Green fields of france, willie mcbride? you know the words?

Question

This is my favourite song. Does anyone know all the words? I always forget them.

Answer 1

The Green Fields of France

Well how do you do, young Willy McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?
And rest for a while ‘neath the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done.
I see by your gravestone you were only 19
when you joined the great fallen in 1916.
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean
Or, young Willy McBride, was it slow and obscene?

CHORUS:
Did they beat the drum slowly?
Did they play the fife lowly?
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers of the Forest'?

Did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined
All though you died back in 1916
In that faithful heart are you forever 19.
Or are you a stranger without even a name
Enclosed in forever behind a glass-pane
In an old photograph torn and battered and stained
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

The sun now it shines down on the green fields of France,
There’s a warm summer breeze it makes the red poppies dance.
The trenches are gone long under the plough
There’s no gas, no barbed wire, there’s no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it’s still No Man's Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand.
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
To a whole generation that was butchered and downed.

And I can't help but wonder now Willie McBride
Do those that lie here know why did they died?
Did you really believe when you answered the call?
Did you really believe that this war would end war?
But the suffering, the sorrow, some the glory, the shame -
The killing and dying - was all done in vain.
For young Willie McBride, it's all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipe lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?



I love the song, it's a monument to the futility of war and the lies of politicians who place no value on life.

Answer 2

The Green Fields of France

Well how do you do, Private William McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side?
A rest for awhile in the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day and I'm nearly done.
And I see by your gravestone that you were only 19
when you joined the glorious fallen in 1916.
Well, I hope you died quick and I hope you died clean
Or, William McBride, was it slow and obscene?

Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipes lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind?
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined
And though you died back in 1916
To that loyal heart are you always 19.
Or are you just a stranger without even a name
Forever enclosed behind some glass-pane
In an old photograph torn and tattered and stained
And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame?

Well, the sun it shines down on these green fields of France,
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance.
The trenches are vanished now under the plough
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now.
But here in this graveyard it is still No Man's Land
And the countless white crosses in mute witness stand.
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
And a whole generation that was butchered and downed.

And I can't help but wonder now Willie McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they died?
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause?
Did you really believe them that this war would end war?
The suffering, the sorrow, some the glory, the shame -
The killing and dying - it was all done in vain.
For Willie McBride, it's all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again.

Did they beat the drum slowly?
did they sound the pipe lowly?
Did the rifles fire o'er ye as they lowered you down?
Did the bugle sing 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers o' the Forest'?

Answer 3

It `s a song and extra in praise of bravery and allegiance A sacrifice seen indirectly as wasted or ineffective to particular quantity. Pte Willie McBride might want to easily be a complication-loose guy besides the undeniable fact that the great warfare took his existence,that of a smooth guy warfare takes position again and again and again The killing and death had by no potential end youthful W McBride like many die for no solid motives they purely upload to the numbers of countless white crosses like in those eco-friendly fields of France ,that `s nonetheless no guy land .

Answer 4

Yes, the above answers quote the lyrics right; however, the song's title is actually 'No Man's Land' - it was written by Eric Bogle and is on several of his albums, and has been covered by quite a few people too.

I like your choice of song - actually, this is the song I play every Rememberence Day to remind myself of the futility of war.

Another good one is the same writer's 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda'.......