Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya - Dropkick Murphys

[28minecraft]

goto 4:00 lol

[Oliver9402]

@ninjaswordtothehead I agree if they never fought hitler he would have killed everyone very peacefully.

[XxXBRAVOx]

what does hurro mean?

[fallenhero0067]

@XxXBRAVOx hurro was the call to rally the irish in the war, and to instill confidence in them when they were marching.

[skny26]

You know, the americans have a version called when johnny comes marching home... Way not as good.

[manmadeoblivion]

from what i'm gathering about this song it's not even about war being good or bad it's about a guy joins to get away from a woman and their kid and when a battle starts he runs away i mean the song says the enemy never slew ya, then it says the guy is spineless,

[annaChii]

@manmadeoblivion you're not hearing it right

He leaves family to go to war, and comes back from fighting ripped to shreds

[wyverngirl69]

@manmadeoblivion I honestly don't think that's what the song means at all.

Young man goes off to war, most likely dazzled by the stories of heroism and glory, leaving wife and child. War not only changes him physically, but emotionally and mentally. "You hadn't an arm, you hadn't a leg, You're a armless, boneless, chickenless egg, You'll have to be put with the bowl to beg" is basically saying he's was wounded in the war and has no arms or legs.

[wyverngirl69]

@wyverngirl69

(con't.) He's hollow inside emotionally from what he's experienced like a chickenless egg and has been cast aside to beg on the street. The enemy never slew him because he came back from war alive. Unfortunately he probably wishes he was killed.

That's what I got from the song.

[cliffordw0389]

@manmadeoblivion The traditional irish folk song that this song is derived from was an anti war song. it was written to discourage irishmen from joining the war that britain was in, in the spice islands of southeast asia.

[xxleandraxx1]

proud to be part irish american!!

[AbracadAbrasax]

Pride to those who have gone before, and to The Lord that we have the metal when the call is sounded.

[oldhamburger]

I'm Scottish.....but when people ask...I say I'm Irish. Sorry.

[FourShot411]

One has to appreciate its semblance.

Dropkick Murphys continue to astound me.

Tip your hats and slam your drinks. Cheers.

[rickythegreaetist]

USA JPN RUSSIA AND CHINA.....................WAR

[lennonpagedrix97]

too many johnnys have died fighting in iraq and when we pull out iran will potenrially occpy the nation an many will have died in vain and its all obamas fault god bless america and her soldiers

[Woulv92]

this is funny, my best childhood friend was joão i called him johnny, i've never seen him again since i was11 :(

[retroguy25000]

guns and drums hell yea!

[concretedemon777]

Here's to Johnny Reb!

[LosttRomanceUsed]

Pretty much everybody has a little irish in them XD we breed like cockroaches! Its the irresistable charm you see ;-)

[MrChickenm1]

@LosttRomanceUsed Tell me about it ;)

[foamysqueak11]

@LosttRomanceUsed As far as I know I'm Mexican, but I find a strange attraction to Irish music, and i love to drink and fight. Coincidence? I don't know ._.

[CipherC233]

If I didn't know that I have Irish blood in me from genealogy, I would from listening to Irish rock.

[Razturaztam]

Johnny, I hardly knew ya...

[AugustBurnt]

As a soldier I want war to end just as much as any other if not more, but I realize that it will never be.

[thelonewolfesoldier]

goddamnit war needs to end period but we must shed more blood before the bloodshed ends but we need to shed it not for a government not for a dictator we must shed ti for what matters we must shed it for our families those we love our very freedom must be protected and we need to do it our way not in idiocy but in revolutionary steps and hope for something more

[ninjaswordtothehead]

@thelonewolfesoldier Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity. Just sayin.

[thelonewolfesoldier]

@ninjaswordtothehead XD pretty sure thats a RWJ joke but its somewhat true

[ninjaswordtothehead]

@thelonewolfesoldier That joke is older than the internet, older than me even.

[thelonewolfesoldier]

@ninjaswordtothehead ahh i guess he used it then

[soulsurfer100]

@ninjaswordtothehead So surrender is the answer??

[dannymaff54]

@soulsurfer100 but then u get fucked anyway

its like getting raped and hoping to keep ur virginity

[EriktheRedo]

@dannymaff54 It is as simple as this: rape isn't 'sex'. You only lose who you are if you ask for it. But it sucks anyway, so surrender is NEVER an option!

[subgra1982]

respect from athens

[patrickp9990]

oi fuck you

[dmwynn1234]

3rd generation ira right here (:

[GRIMSxREAPER]

I'm proud to be irish these guys fit the bill

[10Dante4]

wasn't hurroo the yell spartans did in 300?

xD

[mjbond2]

@10Dante4 no i dont think so

[phill3po]

Idk y I thiught of pirates

[MrArmystrong85]

29 people arent Irish

[PMNS1995]

@MrArmystrong85 I'm not Irish, still press like =D

[TheTilen13]

Best dropicks song, but i was imagined viking video. Harooo and this stuf...

[supermegaowner]

Best Dropkick Murphys song from the best DKM album!

[xadrez13]

screamed the outskirts of the sao paulo Brazil, the Union between punks and skins, look for the music ''cerveja e mulher rock paulista'' e ''erica prostituta rock paulista''...

rato de esgoto puro osso''"!!!!

and intolerant FUCK

[MALMAL714]

hi thanks for all the views o by the way im the kid in the video and to all you people saying that the old womans my grandmother, shes not shes my neighbor, o i have one question do u guys think i look weird?

[alexandzakkown]

@CapnUnicornVOMIT i hardley knew johnny and i still liked it ;)

[Nokkenbuer]

HAROO from Texas!

[Lillettebitch619]

This song was just perfect in "Sons Of Anarchy".

[TheGarryModder]

it is quite tragic how childeren nowadays think that wars are a place of heroism and honor..

[EriK8520]

@TheGarryModder

Propaganda, HO!  >_>

[TheGarryModder]

@EriK8520 indeed

[assassin616]

@TheGarryModder thats always been the way though hasnt it. Young men have always dreamt of going off and serving. For adventure, for honor, to prove themselves. Most boys play soldiers, and they have for a long time, its not a recent development. Im not hating on you, im just giving my point of view.

[TheGarryModder]

@assassin616 aye agreed :)

[iamthedor]

@assassin616 As a young boy I drempt of war as a old man I have nightmares of war.

[XxSoulshooterxX]

How about you all shuddup and watch the dang video.

[FelipeHermod]

Why the fuck Bad Romance is in the suggestions?

Fuck you, bitch, and go away with your word-repeating songs.

[24GTAfan]

guys holy shit stop worrying about historical facts of the song just shut the fuck up and listen to the goddamn song and enjoy it or just shut your face n go back to shoveling the shit from your fat rolls with a spoon!

[b2l4evr]

this awesome to here ive i saw them on july 3rd at the marquee i went fuckin crazy in the pit at this song!

[pissoff68]

@cjhart3 we didnt go to iraq for 9/11 payback and if we went for oil, why has OPEC been busting our balls lately, al qaeda was in afghanistan and apperantly pakistan, saddam had a lockdown on iraq, there was no fruitful terrorist plotting in that country until we destabilized it, now what any of this has to do with a 19th century irish battlesong is beyond me, but what i do know is that if we wanted to stop atttacks on our country why would we start wars instead of using targeted killings?

[OhmsLaw76]

Good stuff. So far all the videos I've seen directed by Mark Higgins has really been top knotch. Does a great job capturing the spirit of the song I think.

[HurricaneDylanTV]

Why after i watch their videos i want to go see thedeparted for the millionth time

[daGingaNinja11]

i don't know why, but i am getting the feeling that they had drums and they also had guns

[PAVEL9921]

i really don't understand why must we kill our own kind , to prove one another how dumb we are? it's useless

[Meowo2]

While I agree with SeamusMochi, I have to give the song writers credit for keeping it true to it's traditional Irish roots.

[SeamusMochi]

War to defend our homeland is what is right, killing senselessly to be the best country is wrong. WWII was a war that if we had lost, multiple countries would have changed for the worse. Iraq war is a war that means nothing, if we lose we don't lose our freedom or our rights. All it is really doing is killing countless lives for nothing.

[BlackHigginsClan]

@crush22m It has everything to do with EVERY war. It is an anti war song....fuck

[ziatik1]

ANYWAY HURROO FROM SERBIA TO IRELAND!!!

[pee2727]

@BlackHigginsClan Get'em!



[puson164523]

@BlackHigginsClan i dunno if is really anti war ... i dislake the video but i liked the song.

[sandricori]

@puson164523 it is anti war becuase it was made by irissh soldier during the first independence war in india

[Cjhart3]

@crush22m but when johnny comes marching home is from the civil war during the 1800s.

[Cjhart3]

@SeamusMochi the iraq war ur wrong about. It started with payback for 9/11 and it also deals with petroleum. No one starts a war unless it has a reason.. they all had reason Civil War, Revolutionary War,WWI,WWII,Vietnam, Iraq,1812, they all had em. Payback, freedom, seperation, slaves no slaves, it just depends.

[BrazilianIrish]

@crush22m It's about soldiers. Not a specific war. Ceylon is mentioned that doesn't make it the focal point. It's about soldiers leaving families to go to war. But your half right it's not about ww1 or ww2 or any other specific conflict. Hence the actual footage and I am sure they did not have cameras or kevlar helmets in the 1800's. Not to mention they are firing artillery and carrying M1a1 carbines. Just about all war and how sometimes soldiers leave families to do what soldiers have to do.

[Miskinwolf]

@BrazilianIrish It is also about the draft too, a lot of men were drafted and forced to leave.

[crush22m]

@BrazilianIrish after reading the comments it was obvious that there was a gross lack of knowledge about this song and obviously the history that has shaped or world into what it is today. It was troublesome to say the least that people have the information at their disposal and choose not educate themselves about something they like or have an interest in.

[crush22m]

@BrazilianIrish after reading the comments it was obvious that there was a gross lack of knowledge about this song and obviously the history that has shaped or world into what it is today. It was troublesome to say the least that people have the information at their disposal and choose not educate themselves about something they like or have an interest in. I was giving the facts behind the origin of the song, and spent a less than valiant effort on wording and structure.

[sandricori]

@BrazilianIrish actualy it is a song made by the irish soldiers fighting with the british during the first independece war of india

[Konstiin]

@crush22m it may have originated from the revolts in sri lanka, but it certainly was a cultural song that applied during all wars.

[ziatik1]

@crush22m

He wrote/changed lyrics and dedicated it to his sister Anny Gilmore.Obviously inspired by " Johnny I hardly knew ye " he wrote about his future brother in-law a Union Light Artillery Captain named John O'Rourke. If u associate "johnny i hardly knew ye" in general, only connection I see is EVERY woman and child left behind by EVERY Johnny in order to go to Sri Lanka to serve in the British Army for the East India Company.

[pee2727]

@crush22m I'm justsayin' I thought the purpose of many songs was to interrupt it in your own way? As in songs such as these have different meanings to everyone, or perhaps maybe when most people hear war or anti-war; WWI or WWII are what comes to mind?

[plastic14407]

@pee2727 when I personally think anti war I think vietnam.

[MrWingnut52]

@crush22m its anti war, does it matter which? think abt it smart ass.

[TThorne931]

@crush22m its not anti war you missed the understanding if that is what you see . Johnny coming marching home is a jubiliation for the return of our sons on their sheilds or with them . the Weakling euro song may be a farewell to arms . But their more civilized americas see the war as needed to ensure peace

[DeadGear9999]

@crush22m it was the civil war

if your going to make assumptions get your facts staight

[RENORAPS775]

@crush22m oh look at mr professor over here shut ya trap

[XpertDrumCovers]

This is the most effective war video i've ever seen!

[dands413]

Awesome video

[FloXIII13]

In my oppinion this is Dropkick Murphys version against any kind of war and the opposite of the original pro-war song "When Johny comes marching home again" in which their are proud of johny the warhero who comes back from the battlefield. Gone as child, back as a man...ridiculous.No one can be proud to be any part of a war.This song is fantastic!!

[bmxfromusa]

3:59 was he aiming a hockey stick?

[NJMevec2]

2:58

Kid holding a pistol wrong LOL.

@bordinbetti

It wasn't an old WWI song. Look at this:

watch?v=AKxS8ndqyx8&feature=fv­st

It was written in the 19th century. As in the 1800s.

[PetShopFan99]

I love song <<<3333333333 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bordinbetti]

I love the Murphy's versions of the old WWI songs, they are such an awesome band!

[bmxfromusa]

26 heartless assholes started the war that killed Johnny

[dzk004223]

lol kids do the darnest things

[Mackiz1993]

Oh i just love this song!

it is a great song about how bad war is and how much the war destroyed. Many families and lifes got wasted for a such bad thing as war. Like this song is about the old ladie who takes care of her sons child because he was sent to the war. She did barely knew him before the war that killed him.

This song is the absolute best irish anti-war and anti-revruiting song!

[Sk8terdude098]

@Feedmyaddiction8 dhéanamh ró-án

[kylekadduide]

"War is old men talking, and young men dying." Achillies, the Illiad

[DrinkToIreland]

makes me proud to be 1/4 irish but what doesnt? ireland&scotland=best countries no argurments

[TheFantasmick]

Perfect band perfect song and true punk rock band not like green gay...

[ThatDudeSpud]

we play war as kids,be it with toys or video games, and we do it in innocent fun but when you go you find that it is a ugly, terrible thing that is the cause of rich men greed and pride, and that innocents you once had is raped away from you and it sadens you to see children play war in the yard and fall down and play dead knowing that 1 day they might go and see it for themselfs

[mrkburrke11]

ok we get it.....your irish.....jesus christ

[Muppo69]

dropkick murphys, i love u <3

[joshuacaswe11]

this isent irish music....... look up the dubliners thats irish. these guys however good are still from boston.

[daebilchipmunk]

@joshuacaswe11 how would u kno r u like a stalker?

[joshuacaswe11]

@daebilchipmunk  no i am irish they arnt thats nt that hard to see....... dnt get me wrong i like them there deadly but its nt irish music! its common knowlage that there from boston.

[Kutitopotai]

Russia loves Irish music :)

[kakas10000]

The song is of late 18 century and is a peace song against the war in Ceylon where Irish soldiers were sent to expand the Brittish Empire..Johny is a genneric name of all those poor young people who were killed for no reason

[konijntim]

@kakas10000 WE KNOW THAT

[blaze7541]

cant wait to see them in ottawa this summer going to start a mosh

[mjbond2]

28 people have no heart.

[zinkoELG]

Holy fucking shit, powerful video, almost made me cry. So many levels. A simple video and song that tells so many things. Whoever came up with this shit is motherfucking brilliant.

[zinkoELG]

Holy fucking shit, powerful video, almost made me cry.

[Razbunarea]

Long live the IRA !!

[myothernameistaken]

@Razbunarea Yes, hooray for mass-murdering terrorist shitbags.

Now, if you weren't a retard, you may have noticed that this song is about pacifism.

[Razbunarea]

@myothernameistaken I understand english .. i noticed the mesage and about IRA it's my opinion !

[myothernameistaken]

@Razbunarea It's your opinion that mass-murdering terrorist shitbags are actually good people?

[Razbunarea]

@myothernameistaken yeap .. killing for their  country :)

[myothernameistaken]

@Razbunarea Yeah, just like the Taliban.

Some stupid ideal doesn't make murder right.

[racer868]

@myothernameistaken The taliban doesn't kill for their country they kill for their god. So, get your facts straight!!!! There is nobody trying to invade their country. They are just trying to impose their god on everyone and kill everyone they consider an "infidel". MORON!

[myothernameistaken]

@racer868 I'm pretty sure we invaded Afghanistan.

And I'm pretty sure the UK is no longer invading Ireland.

[futseb1]

No, it s actually the confederate song whitch is a remake of this one. It s originally a war song of British India Army...

[Jabo007Celt]

Is this a remake of the confederate song they whistled during the American Civil war?

[WebGremlin]

I think the little kid is the offspring of the old woman's son, who got sent to war due to the draft. She thinks about her son, and is upset to see her grandson roleplaying the army, because that is what killed her son.

Johnny is probably the grandson, and thus the woman's son hardly knew his own child.

[DaNo44]

@WebGremlin absolutely correct, I read that before I watched and couldnt have said it better myself. I am a huge dropkick fan, but somehow I have only heard this song a few times and was unaware of the video. Wow.. its crazy how a little visual representation can make you appreciate lyrics.

[mjbond2]

@WebGremlin the womans son would have to be born in the 1920s, and the boy in the video was the womans grandson. i dont know this but i think that.

[WebGremlin]

@mjbond2 Not sure about the date, but I agree that the boy is the woman's grandson; Johnny.

[Dordrius]

@WebGremlin ''Johnny'' is actually referring to every single individual in military service, it's just a generic name to use when you refer to all the soldiers, or at least in this instance - like how the military refers to the guy their wives cheat with as ''Jody''

[Bigctfc]

@WebGremlin I think that it was her husband that left and was killed when her kids were small. For instance it said "Why did you run from me and the kids?" It probably is her grandson roleplaying just that it was her husband because also at that era of time it would be hard for his dad to have been from the time when those cars he was in were common. (I hope this makes sense)

[mrbiscuits246]

@WebGremlin the offspring?

[posro1988]

@WebGremlin no I disagree..johnny is obviously woman's husband and the child's grandfather who fought in WW2

[fastmatt30]

@posro1988 makes sense cuz the kid didn't know johnny.

[williamskidfears]

@posro1988 That would make more sense.

[Babbitman1900]

@posro1988 Completely correct - considering the first verse states "When my poor heart you first beguiled / why did you run from me and the child? Johnny, I hardly knew ya." It's a song about a woman's lover leaving for war and coming back in a casket, leaving her a widow and the child fatherless.

In the music video, the woman is too old to be that kids mother, and he's WAAAAY too young to be the son of someone from Vietnam (video was made in 2008).

[WebGremlin]

26 people were slain by the enemy.

[TheArvernian]

I'm gonna to pass one entire year in Sligo, Ireland. CAN'T FUCKING STAND TO BE THERE DRINKING SO MUCH BEER AND LISTENING FUCKIN DROPKICK !!! France, fuck you XD (i'm from :p )

[elkeki88]

Samo se nadam da ce jednom imati nastup i u Srbiji,odlicna pesma......

[Zapdos1029]

4:00 DONT YOU POINT THAT THING AT ANYONE. GET IN THE HOUSE.

lol that part

[isaihsilano]

it about jhonny love the army and gose then he dies and the mom thinks about him all the time when he was little

[mjbond2]

@isaihsilano but he was drafted so maybe he didnt want to be in the army.

[Lola85Megawatts]

These guys are from Boston, not Ireland - they're Irish-Americans :) 

[NineTa1ledFox10]

whats this song about exactley

[reeker971]

I love this song!

I love Ireland!

But unfortunately, I'm German.

Greetings from Germany!

[berlinstreets]

@reeker971 wir deutschen kriegen keine thumbs up :D

[reeker971]

@berlinstreets hab ich auch nicht erwartet :D

[reeker971]

@berlinstreets leider xD !

[punk66694]

Very great video...respect!

[manhoffentlichgibes]

i love the granny!

[TheCheshirecat1234]

Slow it down and it the melody of "the ants are marching one by one"

[MoTigerBlood]

our nation is legendary - literally.

[KrypticSader]

Italians had it harder

[suCalavrige]

@KrypticSader Ahuahuahuahuahuahua

[MrLazynko]

Torres song .:)

[Vasileas]

Proud to be Greek, Proud to say "I love Ireland".

[KayoteThunder]

Does anyone know what this song is really about?

[Redrussian1983]

@KayoteThunder this is an old irish anti-war song.

[zappbrannigan420]

@KayoteThunder Yeah, about how the Irish were brought to fight throughout Europe and the world at the behest of the Crown, which in turn spit on the Irish people and all but enslaved them, while sending their impressionable young men to die on foriegn soil. Why?

[zappbrannigan420]

@KayoteThunder Additionally the song was adapted by Irish immigrants in the United States which was popular around the time of the civil war, it was called "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again".

[kylekadduide]

@zappbrannigan420 THANK YOU.... someone FINALLY gets it right. its NOT the other way around.

[satiore]

@KayoteThunder not sure but probly about a guy called johnny