Brave Irish Men Song Lyrics And Chords
Written and recorded by Padraig Grimes.This song is about Irish men who went to fight for the British Army during the second world war. Some were deserters from the Irish Army, many were civilians who enlisted for various reasons into the British ranks.About 100 personnel are still alive. It is estimated that about 7,000 of the 42,000 members of the Defence Forces deserted and 5,000 jointed the British Army. After the second world war the deserters were dismissed by the Irish Army, publicly named and refused public service jobs for seven years. In May 2013 these men were given a pardon by the Irish state.
Brave Irish Men
AM C G
In nineteen hundred and forty four
AM EM G F
As the enemy stood not far from our door
AM C G
Some brave Irish men saw the work to be done
AM EM G AM
So they put on their pack, their tin hat and gun
Tired of standing here guarding the bog
They slipped quietly away in the cold winter fog
Nearly five thousand would follow their light
To the green fields of France, for justice and right
Chorus
F G C
Heroes, heroes, one and all
AM F G C
Those brave men who answered the call
F G C
Few would return and many would fall
AM G AM
True Irish heroes, one and all
In nineteen hundred and forty four
As the blood turned the sand to red on the shore
When the beaches of Normandy shook in the tide
They all marched together, they marched side by side
In a foreign army they took up a stand
To banish fascism and free the homeland
Fought many a battle, won medals with pride
That when returning home they would be forced to hide
Chorus
No hero’s welcome, shunned and abused
De Valera had said it, these men we can’t use
No state employment, no government funds
The “starvation order it runs and it runs
Dismissed from the army, they were made to pay
For seventy years and right up to today
Now the pardon has come much too late, it`s insane
By a man who`s not fit no whisper their name
Chorus
In nineteen hundred and forty four
As the enemy stood not far from our door
Some brave Irish men saw the work to be done
So they put on their pack, their tin hat and gun
Brave Irish Men
AM C G
In nineteen hundred and forty four
AM EM G F
As the enemy stood not far from our door
AM C G
Some brave Irish men saw the work to be done
AM EM G AM
So they put on their pack, their tin hat and gun
Tired of standing here guarding the bog
They slipped quietly away in the cold winter fog
Nearly five thousand would follow their light
To the green fields of France, for justice and right
Chorus
F G C
Heroes, heroes, one and all
AM F G C
Those brave men who answered the call
F G C
Few would return and many would fall
AM G AM
True Irish heroes, one and all
In nineteen hundred and forty four
As the blood turned the sand to red on the shore
When the beaches of Normandy shook in the tide
They all marched together, they marched side by side
In a foreign army they took up a stand
To banish fascism and free the homeland
Fought many a battle, won medals with pride
That when returning home they would be forced to hide
Chorus
No hero’s welcome, shunned and abused
De Valera had said it, these men we can’t use
No state employment, no government funds
The “starvation order it runs and it runs
Dismissed from the army, they were made to pay
For seventy years and right up to today
Now the pardon has come much too late, it`s insane
By a man who`s not fit no whisper their name
Chorus
In nineteen hundred and forty four
As the enemy stood not far from our door
Some brave Irish men saw the work to be done
So they put on their pack, their tin hat and gun
