Banna Strand lyrics and guitar chords
The Ballad Of Roger Casement. Recorded by The Wolfe Tones. Unknown songwriter. Can someone let me know who wrote this powerful song about Roger Casement. the last verse was written in 1965 by Derek Warfield of The Wolfe Tones. The song words state that Good Friday was in the month of May, in fact Good Friday in 1916 was on the 21st of April. The song was also recorded by Damien Dempsey and by The Grehan Sisters who used some different lyrics that the 'tones version. The Grehan Sisters who played banjo and guitar also sang The Orange And The Green song which Patsy Watchorn also covered. Included also is the tenor guitar / mandola tab.
Twas [G] on Good Friday morning,
All [C] in the month of [G] May,
A [Dm] German Ship was [G] signalling,
Be[C]yond out [G] in the Bay,
We had [Dm] twenty thousand [G] rifles
All [C] ready for to [G] land,
But no answering signal did come
From the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
"No signal answers from the shore",
Sir Roger sadly said,
"No comrades here to meet me,
Alas, they must be dead,
But I must do my duty
And at once I mean to land",
So in a small boat rowed ashore
On the lovely Banna Strand.
Now the R.I.C. were hunting
For Sir Roger high and low,
They found him in McKenna's fort;
Said they: "You are our foe",
Said he: "I'm Roger Casement,
I came to my native land,
I mean to free my countrymen
On the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger prisoner,
And sailed for London town,
And in the Tower they laid him,
A traitor to the Crown;
Said he "I am no traitor",
But his trial he had to stand,
For bringing German rifles
To the lonely Banna Strand.
'Twas in an English prison
That they led him to his death,
"I'm dying for my country"
He said with his last breath,
They buried him in British soil
Far from his native land,
And the wild waves sing his requiem
On the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger home again
In the year of '65,
And with his comrades of '16
In peace and tranquil lies,
His last fond wish, it is fulfilled
For to lie in his native land,
And the waves will roll in peace again
On the lonely Banna Strand.
All [C] in the month of [G] May,
A [Dm] German Ship was [G] signalling,
Be[C]yond out [G] in the Bay,
We had [Dm] twenty thousand [G] rifles
All [C] ready for to [G] land,
But no answering signal did come
From the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
"No signal answers from the shore",
Sir Roger sadly said,
"No comrades here to meet me,
Alas, they must be dead,
But I must do my duty
And at once I mean to land",
So in a small boat rowed ashore
On the lovely Banna Strand.
Now the R.I.C. were hunting
For Sir Roger high and low,
They found him in McKenna's fort;
Said they: "You are our foe",
Said he: "I'm Roger Casement,
I came to my native land,
I mean to free my countrymen
On the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger prisoner,
And sailed for London town,
And in the Tower they laid him,
A traitor to the Crown;
Said he "I am no traitor",
But his trial he had to stand,
For bringing German rifles
To the lonely Banna Strand.
'Twas in an English prison
That they led him to his death,
"I'm dying for my country"
He said with his last breath,
They buried him in British soil
Far from his native land,
And the wild waves sing his requiem
On the lonely Banna Strand.
They took Sir Roger home again
In the year of '65,
And with his comrades of '16
In peace and tranquil lies,
His last fond wish, it is fulfilled
For to lie in his native land,
And the waves will roll in peace again
On the lonely Banna Strand.
“The Lonely Banna Strand” is a powerful song, and with chords, strumming, and fingerpicking it really comes alive. Below is a full performance-ready version: all verses with chords, a strumming pattern, and a fingerpicking tab for the first verse.
🎸 Chords Used
G 320003
C x32010
Dm xx0231
🎵 Suggested Strumming Pattern
For a traditional Irish ballad feel in 6/8 time, use:
Pattern:
D DUDU (each measure)
— where D = down, U = up.
You can also alternate between:
Soft finger strumming for verses
Full strums for emotional lift (like verse 4 or 5)
Example rhythm count:
1 2 3 4 5 6
→ play D (1), D (3), U (4), D (5), U (6)
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern (for first verse)
Use this 6/8 arpeggio pattern per measure:
T – i – m – i – m – i
(T = thumb on bass string, i = index, m = middle)
Tab (First Verse)
G C G
e|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|-----------3-----------|
B|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|-------0-----------0---|
G|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|
E|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
Dm G C G
e|-----------1-----------|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|
B|-------3-----------3---|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|
G|-----2---2-------2---2-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|---0-----------0-------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
E|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|
Dm G C G
e|-----------1-----------|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|
B|-------3-----------3---|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|
G|-----2---2-------2---2-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|---0-----------0-------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
E|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|---3-----------3-------|
🎶 Full Lyrics with Chords
Verse 1
Twas [G] on Good Friday morning,
All [C] in the month of [G] May,
A [Dm] German Ship was [G] signalling,
Be[C]yond out [G] in the Bay,
We had [Dm] twenty thousand [G] rifles
All [C] ready for to [G] land,
But no answering signal did come
From the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 2
"No [G] signal answers from the shore",
Sir [C] Roger sadly [G] said,
"No [Dm] comrades here to [G] meet me,
A[C]las, they must be [G] dead,
But [Dm] I must do my [G] duty
And [C] at once I mean to [G] land,"
So in a small boat rowed ashore
On the [C] lovely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 3
Now the [G] R.I.C. were hunting
For Sir [C] Roger high and [G] low,
They [Dm] found him in Mc[G]Kenna's fort;
Said [C] they: "You are our [G] foe",
Said [Dm] he: "I'm Roger [G] Casement,
I [C] came to my native [G] land,
I mean to free my countrymen
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 4
They [G] took Sir Roger prisoner,
And [C] sailed for London [G] town,
And [Dm] in the Tower they [G] laid him,
A [C] traitor to the [G] Crown;
Said [Dm] he "I am no [G] traitor",
But his [C] trial he had to [G] stand,
For bringing German rifles
To the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 5
'Twas [G] in an English prison
That they [C] led him to his [G] death,
"I'm [Dm] dying for my [G] country"
He [C] said with his last [G] breath,
They [Dm] buried him in [G] British soil
Far [C] from his native [G] land,
And the wild waves sing his requiem
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 6
They [G] took Sir Roger home again
In the [C] year of 'sixty-[G]five,
And [Dm] with his comrades [G] of 'sixteen
In [C] peace and tranquil [G] lies,
His [Dm] last fond wish, it [G] is fulfilled
For to [C] lie in his native [G] land,
And the waves will roll in peace again
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
🎸 Chords Used
G 320003
C x32010
Dm xx0231
🎵 Suggested Strumming Pattern
For a traditional Irish ballad feel in 6/8 time, use:
Pattern:
D DUDU (each measure)
— where D = down, U = up.
You can also alternate between:
Soft finger strumming for verses
Full strums for emotional lift (like verse 4 or 5)
Example rhythm count:
1 2 3 4 5 6
→ play D (1), D (3), U (4), D (5), U (6)
🎸 Fingerpicking Pattern (for first verse)
Use this 6/8 arpeggio pattern per measure:
T – i – m – i – m – i
(T = thumb on bass string, i = index, m = middle)
Tab (First Verse)
G C G
e|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|-----------3-----------|
B|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|-------0-----------0---|
G|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|
E|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
Dm G C G
e|-----------1-----------|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|
B|-------3-----------3---|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|
G|-----2---2-------2---2-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|---0-----------0-------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
E|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|-----------------------|
Dm G C G
e|-----------1-----------|-----------3-----------|-----------0-----------|
B|-------3-----------3---|-------0-----------0---|-------1-----------1---|
G|-----2---2-------2---2-|-----0---0-------0---0-|-----0---0-------0---0-|
D|---0-----------0-------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
A|-----------------------|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|
E|-----------------------|---3-----------3-------|---3-----------3-------|
🎶 Full Lyrics with Chords
Verse 1
Twas [G] on Good Friday morning,
All [C] in the month of [G] May,
A [Dm] German Ship was [G] signalling,
Be[C]yond out [G] in the Bay,
We had [Dm] twenty thousand [G] rifles
All [C] ready for to [G] land,
But no answering signal did come
From the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 2
"No [G] signal answers from the shore",
Sir [C] Roger sadly [G] said,
"No [Dm] comrades here to [G] meet me,
A[C]las, they must be [G] dead,
But [Dm] I must do my [G] duty
And [C] at once I mean to [G] land,"
So in a small boat rowed ashore
On the [C] lovely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 3
Now the [G] R.I.C. were hunting
For Sir [C] Roger high and [G] low,
They [Dm] found him in Mc[G]Kenna's fort;
Said [C] they: "You are our [G] foe",
Said [Dm] he: "I'm Roger [G] Casement,
I [C] came to my native [G] land,
I mean to free my countrymen
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 4
They [G] took Sir Roger prisoner,
And [C] sailed for London [G] town,
And [Dm] in the Tower they [G] laid him,
A [C] traitor to the [G] Crown;
Said [Dm] he "I am no [G] traitor",
But his [C] trial he had to [G] stand,
For bringing German rifles
To the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 5
'Twas [G] in an English prison
That they [C] led him to his [G] death,
"I'm [Dm] dying for my [G] country"
He [C] said with his last [G] breath,
They [Dm] buried him in [G] British soil
Far [C] from his native [G] land,
And the wild waves sing his requiem
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Verse 6
They [G] took Sir Roger home again
In the [C] year of 'sixty-[G]five,
And [Dm] with his comrades [G] of 'sixteen
In [C] peace and tranquil [G] lies,
His [Dm] last fond wish, it [G] is fulfilled
For to [C] lie in his native [G] land,
And the waves will roll in peace again
On the [C] lonely Banna [G] Strand.
Roger Casement being arrested
Rebel songs for tin whistle
Lonely Banna Strand tenor guitar / mandola tab-Tuning CGDA below and standard tab above.
