The Green Fields Of France Lyrics And Chords
Written By Eric Bogle. The guitar tab is now included. The 5 string banjo chords are included. Probably the finest anti war song ever written and covered beautifully by ''The Fureys''.Eric has written tons of great songs, more of Eric Bogle Songs this song was also recorded by The Men They Couldn't Hang, Ronnie Drew and The Dubliners and more recent by Celtic Thunder, The Dropkick Murphy's, John McDermott, Liam Clancy and the famous Irish tenor singer Ronan Tynan plus Irish folk singer / contempory Tommy Flemming.. The youtube video is of The Furey Brothers with Davey Arthur. While I was compiling the top 100 Irish folk songs of all time this one came in at No. 14 , yes I know it's not Irish but it was recorded by The Fureys [ song list ] and is their biggest hit song to date. Recently recorded by the Irish ballad group The High Kings in 2016. Now included is the tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA tuning.
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Well[C] how do you do young[F] Willy Mc[Dm] Bride
Do you[G] mind if I sit here down[C] by your grave[G]side And[C] rest for a while in the[F] warm summer[Dm] sun I've been[G] walking all day and[F] I'm nearly[C] done I[C] see by your gravestone your were[F] only nine[Dm]teen When you[G] joined the great falling in[C] nineteen fif[G]teen Well I[C] hope you died well and I[F] hope you died[Dm] clean Or young[G] Willy Mc Bride was it[F] slow and ob[C]scene [Chorus] Did[G] they beat the drum slowly ,did they[F] sound the fifes[C] lowly Did they[G] sound the death march as they[F] lowered you[C] down Did the[F] band play the last post and[G] chorus Did the[F] pipes play the[Dm] flowers of the[G] fo[C]rest. [2] Did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind In some faithfull heart is your memory enshrined And though you died back in nineteen fifteen In some faith full heart are you forever nineteen Or are you a stranger without even a name Enshrined forever behind a glass frame In an old photograph torn battered and stained And fading to yellow in a brown leather frame. [Repeat Chorus] [3] Well the sun now it shines on the green fields of France There's a warm summer breeze it makes the red poppies dance And look how the sun shines from under the cloudes There's no gas no barbed wire , there's no gun firing now. But here in this graveyard it's still no mans land The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand To man's blind indefference to his fellow man To a whole generation that were butchered and dammed [Repeat Chorus] Well Will Mc Bride I cant help wonder why Do those that lie here know why did they die And did they believe when they answered the call Did they really believe that this war would end war Well the sorrow the suffering the glory the pain The killing the dying was all done in vain For young Willy Mc Bride it all happened again And again,and again,and again,and again If you want to play along with the youtube video of The Furey Brothers And Davie Arthur then use these chords.
Well[F] how do you [Dm]do young[Bb] Willy Mc[C] Bride. Do you mind if I sit here down[Bb] by your grave[F]side. And rest for a [Dm]while in the[Bb] warm summer[C] sun. I've been walking all day and[Bb] I'm nearly[F] done. I[F] see by your [Dm]gravestone your were[Gm] only nine teen. When you[C] joined the great falling in[Bb] nineteen fif[C]teen. Well I[F] hope you died [Dm]well and I[Bb] hope you died[Gm] clean Or young[c] Willy Mc Bride was it[Bb] slow and ob[F]scene. [Chorus] Did they [C]beat the drum slowly ,did they[Bb] play the fifes[F] lowly Did they[C] sound the death march as they[Bb] lowered you[C] down. Did the band [Bb]play the last post and[F] chorus[Dm] Did the[F] pipes play the[C] flowers of the fo[F]rest. 
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The following verse was written by Tom Green.
Tom says , The idea came from a picture I painted called Afganistan a reversal of the popular poppy field pictures. I made the field red covered with green opium poppies. Well hear we are now in 2 thousand 11 and Willie McBride looking down from heaven would he think it ironic theres no change in man when he see's what is happening in Afganistan is there any real difference from 1915 a young soldiers death is just as obscene the only real difference from 1915 the fields are blood red and the poppies are green WILLIE MCBRIDE'S REPLY
Lyrics: Stephen L. Suffet, This is the reply that Willie McBride gives to Eric Bogle. The song is set to the same tune as The Green Fields Of France , and what a great tribute it is to Eric's song . I wonder has this reply to a song been done this way before ? My dear friend Eric, this is Willie McBride, Today I speak to you across the divide, Of years and of distance of life and of death, Please let me speak freely with my silent breath. You might think me crazy, you might think me daft, I could have stayed back in Erin, where there wasn't a draft, But my parents they raised me to tell right from wrong, So today I shall answer what you asked in your song. Yes, they beat the drum slowly, they played the pipes lowly, And the rifles fired o'er me as they lowered me down, The band played "The Last Post" in chorus, And the pipes played "The Flowers of the Forest." Ask the people of Belgium or Alsace-Lorraine, If my life was wasted, if I died in vain. I think they will tell you when all's said and done, They welcomed this boy with his tin hat and gun. And call it ironic that I was cut down, While in Dublin my kinfolk were fighting the Crown. But in Dublin or Flanders the cause was the same: To resist the oppressor, whatever his name. Yes, they beat the drum slowly...,,,. It wasn't for King or for England I died, It wasn't for glory or the Empire's pride. The reason I went was both simple and clear: To stand up for freedom did I volunteer. It's easy for you to look back and sigh, And pity the youth of those days long gone by, For us who were there, we knew why we died, And I'd do it again, says Willie McBride. Chords in the key of D
Well[D] how do you do young[G] Willy Mc[Em] Bride Do you[A] mind if I sit here down[D] by your grave[A]side And[D] rest for a while in the[G] warm summer[Em] sun I've been[A] walking all day and[G] I'm nearly[D] done I[D] see by your gravestone your were[G] only nine[Em]teen When you[A] joined the great falling in[D] nineteen fif[A]teen Well I[D] hope you died well and I[G] hope you died[Em] clean Or young[A] Willy Mc Bride was it[G] slow and ob[D]scene [Dhorus] Did[A] they beat the drum slowly ,did they[G] sound the fifes[D] lowly Did they[A] sound the death march as they[G] lowered you[D] down Did the[G] band play the last post and[A] chorus Did the[G] pipes play the[Em] flowers of the[A] fo[D]rest. And here's the guitar chords for the key of G Well[G] how do you do young[C] Willy Mc[Am] Bride Do you[D] mind if I sit here down[G] by your grave[D]side And[G] rest for a while in the[C] warm summer[Am] sun I've been[D] walking all day and[C] I'm nearly[G] done I[G] see by your gravestone your were[C] only nine[Am]teen When you[D] joined the great falling in[G] nineteen fif[D]teen Well I[G] hope you died well and I[C] hope you died[Am] clean Or young[D] Willy Mc Bride was it[C] slow and ob[G]scene [Ghorus] Did[D] they beat the drum slowly ,did they[C] sound the fifes[G] lowly Did they[D] sound the death march as they[C] lowered you[G] down Did the[C] band play the last post and[D] chorus Did the[C] pipes play the[Am] flowers of the[D] fo[G]rest. |
The green fields of France guitar tab for the key of G Major
Below is the tenor guitar / mandola tab in CGDA tuning.
The green fields of France 5 string banjo chords for the key of G Major.
