The Dubliners - The battle of the Somme

[englishrover56]

God Bless Luke Kelly truly a beautiful and unique voice among many great Irish folk singers , getting on for 30 years now since he sadly bowed out ,Dear God where does the time go !!! .Only ever heard this gem on one Dubliners tape i had back in the early 80's it's a shame it's not on more of those many 'Greatest Hits ' etc compilations that are out there to buy of this unforgettable band

[nedcoyle]

I've never heard this before, absolutely beautiful and I thought I had heard everything by the Dubliners, wish I could find it on CD.

[rheaann420]

26+6=1 UP THE RA!!!! BATTLED BUT NEVER BEATEN

[birdy424]

32 counties someday!!!!!!!!!

[Feanor1169]

Great song. If anyone is interested in the true reasons behind WWI (and WWII) check out the book "Pawns in the Game" by British Royal Navy commander and WWI veteran William Guy Carr.

[david1966dc]

dubliners stick to these songs instead of your usual bigoted nonsense. 36 ulster division

[Reinaert53]

War is stupid. First World War was one of the most stupid wars EVER in history.

[unclephil440]

The second "tune" is called the Bloody Fields of Flanders.

[5000AV]

A very thought provoking tune....first heard it by A Scottish singer..... "Mona Devi" sung brilliantly....if anyone has, please contact me please......but "The Dubliners" do a great rendition......such a sad tune!!!!

[kickboot2]

@5000AV I don't believe it! I am in fact that Mona Devi. My real name is Jean Livingstone. I'm on facebook and still singing.

[PetericL]

My great-grandfather (John William Heath) fought in the battle of the Somme. He was in the 19th bn. R.W.F.. Of his bn. off 800+ men...only he and 1 other left that field unwounded. I have a postcard of him & the other man with the goat mascot as well as a broken wooden doll he picked up from the ground to remember this by. Without his survival...I would not be living today...I think of that whenever I hear of this battle.

[mcalash]

yeah we had the krauts off though

[Apemanwithcalculator]

@mcalash I dont think you understand the total pointlessness of that war. Tragic waste of life

[3tangle3]

@mcalash we are all humans....all young men sent to die in war they didnt understand

[SHANDYBOY86]

I have two realtives who died on the somme battlefield, they were brothers and both scottish, but one of then emigrated to canada before the war and then joined the army there, They never saw each other again. We have thier medals and one of their death plagues and a christmas 1914 chocoalte tin with a couple of buttons a coin a fiching weight and a bullet from a revolver, May all the soldiers on either side Rest In Peace and thank all the soldiers that died for our freedom.

[hanklock]

A lot of men who fought in the first world war also fought in the Irish war of Independance against the british,Tom Barry use to be in the british army and that's where he learned his tacticts as in the book he wrote Gurrilla days in Ireland

[hanklock]

The name of the tune at beginning is the battle of the somme,but the song Luke sings is called Freedom Come All Ye which is a Scotish song i think it's from around the time of the jackobites.

[martin1226]

Fuck war, really, that's the best we can do? No. I shall not go ass over teakettle for any system of governance, take your agenda elsewhere corporatist.

Sincerely, your avg. American.

[metallifreak77]

anyone want to give me a history of this tune, Battle of the Somme? Not the battle itself, the song?

[legandrydirk]

@metallifreak77 Not got a clue,but Springburn is in Glasgow.My Grand Father came from there.He fought in this epic battle.He is singing about Scotland anyway I know that much.Maybe its about the H.L.I.The Highland light infantry.

[McGrenzer]

@metallifreak77 It's a pipe tune composed during WWI by William Lawrie, Pipe Major of a battalion of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

[sinjin480]

So many of our Newfoundland boys lost in this battle. A great legacy for them, and all of the other brave souls who fell during that hell on earth.

[ukcelticpride]

Great song about hell on earth!

[Bowfin567]

Ah, the most useless waste of life in History. I still call the Crimea the most useless war, but then, I see them as really in different leagues. Love The Dubliners, for real.

[paddyd65]

my friends grandfather, who was a pipe major in WW I,wrote this tune in1916. Sadly he was killed in 1917

[roryg38]

The tune is battle of the somme,song that follows is Freedom come a' ye,

[koelnerwutzmann]

This events are the reason of european Reunification , I dont like Helmut Kohl, but in this point he is wright. No more wars betweens europeans. We are brothers.

[paddymick92]

Only the first part is called 'the battle of the Somme' as of 1:56 the song is called "freedom come ye all' - this is what is titled on the Dubliners album I have.

[OrpheusLyre87]

so beautiful....

[eoghanbeg]

The composer of The Battle of the Somme was Pipe Major William Lawrie (Uilleam Labhruidh) (1882-1916).

His relative Griogair Labhruidh has produced a wonderful tribute to him - see Dunach1 or Marbhrann do dh'Uilleam Labhruidh on YouTube.

[BKALEY]

Bless 'em

[germcgrath7]

i think you,ll find its john sheehan

[Wintersmith12]

I wish I could sing like Luke :(

[GrimCorrespondent]

WAR is hell but man will fight, die, and suffer when he feels he has to. But with the lack of war what would have happend if the fighting men and women didn't stand against the third riech or soviets were would we be now and i am sure that it wouldn't be as peace full as it is now.

hate me if you want but i have seen war and the dead and i know that if the bodies i saw wern't there whos bodies would be.

[Supduplemup]

What are the lyrics?

[Sjipkop]

tears in your eyes when he starts singing

[joeygsmom]

make love not war and if youve a Scottish accent alls the better!

I missed out on the hippie generation and Im sorry for that. Luke was the best!

[johanjuckers]

luke is the best of all

[Thompsonf1001]

what is the name of the poem/song after the battle of the somme ??

[MarcellusGrey]

@Thompsonf1001

its called 'freedom come ye all'

[Thompsonf1001]

slainte :)

[b4u1i1]

R.I.P - To all those who had to fight. Who were to poor not to. Or the Irish who believed that helping would see their freedom, they were lied to.

[dubstepist]

how where they lied to? did they not gt the counties which were majority republican? or did u wish to see a united ireland formed under a method which was not democratic..the majority in the 6 counties did not want this.. hence the use of partition.. to try to keep u gurning rebel rodents happy..

[briankissane]

On the worst day in British military history. It was the Paddys that saved the day. The brave men of Ulster kicked some serious ass that day. The farthest advance that day was by the Tyneside Irish. A mixture of Cathoilic and Protestant alike.

[hatstalker]

well personally i think its our way of thinning our population down, the more people there are the more wars there will be and the population will balance itself out.

i don't like the idea of war before you all spam me its just i recognise its purpose in the big sick picture

[snow54445]

sad but the only thing worth dying for is family and freedom

[3tangle3]

@snow54445 WW1 was nothing to do with family or freedom either.... just one sick joke

[zealotnut]

Have you read the Georgia Guidestones?

This earth is nowhere near overpopulated.

[hatstalker]

Not yet.

[grubitsch]

doesnt matter if its over populated its the fact that its populated by humans, weve been here for thousands of year and in the past century weve fucked it up the most

[Dungbats]

@hatstalker that's probably true come to think of it. But we've gone and screwed up with nuclear weapons. Now we can't have a good fight without being threatened by world destruction :(

[TechNed]

@Dungbats sorry ... what do you mean by a good fight ?

maybe was just a turn of phrase. I miss you John.

[Dungbats]

obviously no war is good, but I meant it as a turn of phrase. Of course, as was said earlier by hatstalker, wars are unfortunately a likely eventuality as populations grow and tensions rise. Its always been that way throughout history. Who knows, maybe mankind will get incredibly lucky and be able to work out some solution to our population growth that doesn't go down the route of the "Chinese solution"

[unclephil440]

Let's not kid ourselves on. The reason for the war, like all wars, is you can't beat a good fight.

[3tangle3]

@unclephil440 na that wasnt the reason at all for the war...innocent young men died for nothing

[ibidydo]

lest we forget

[burnleyfan11965]

austro hungary decalred war on Serbia and started WW1.Serbia Britains ally countless times and we stabbed them in the back and sided with Muslim bosninas whos friends eventaully bombed us.Serbia i apologise for being British we hope you forgive us

[dragoon43A]

Well said Burnelyfan11964 and absolutely true.

From a Canadian vet of the Bosnian conflict.

[acromiton]

... Broken faimlies in lands we've hairriet

Will curse 'Scotlan the Brave' nae mair, nae mair ...

[ErnstBecker]

datz bra !

[ErnstBecker]

The root of war may be found in either political, economic and or social ideologies.

[ormepipes]

The initial aggressive acts were perpatrated by Germany on a neutral territory (Belgium). Once agression has been unleashed the cause becomes a just one and any pretexts cease to be of importance.

[HabsburgLorraine]

I quite agree. War was fought on pretexts, though if I may point out Austro-Hungary declared war on Serbia before the Germans invaded Belgium.

[ormepipes]

You are 100% correct about Austro- Hungary and Serbia. Being English I tend to focus on what brought Britain into the war - and I should'nt!! Its not that I'm trying to claim all the credit for Britain (I'm English, not American!!). I notice you are in Belgium - are you Belgian? - You have every right to be proud of the roll her army played - not enough is written about them. Ive enjoyed your insight.

[pMcARDENboyz]

i like this song

sung in a strong scottish acent

[Notides360]

You mean Irish?

[ormepipes]

WW1 was fought to rid Europe of German military ambition and to preserve the freedom of Belgium and France. The sacrifice made by the allied troops was not in vein - the right side won. The butchers bill was a terrible price that had to be paid. German losses were no smaller. The sacrifice of all the allied soldiers needs to shine to us as an example of how we should act if freedom is in jeopardy again. If not, those who did not return truly all did die for nothing.

[HabsburgLorraine]

One must, however, know the difference between the 'cause' and the 'pretext' of a war.

[13Filmrisse]

@ormepipes To give the whole picture: the "freedom" you say the allied were defending did obviously not include the freedom for the people living under British or French or Belgian rule in the respective colonies.

[ormepipes]

@13Filmrisse I suppose Germany did not have colonial ambitions then?

[13Filmrisse]

@ormepipes Oh they did but could not realize (fortunately) to the same extent as the British or the French. My point is that it is a propaganda lie to say that the allied fought for freedom though I don't blame you. You repeat what you are told in your history books and movies. Each belligerent country had its own agenda but freedom did not figure on it. CONTINUED ...

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse CONTINUED

Germany wanted to be a superpower at par with France and Britain.

Austria wanted to keep its Empire.

Britain wanted to maintain the status quo in its strive for its so loved priniple of the balance of power.

France wanted revenge for the lost war in 1870/71.

Zarist Russia pursued its aim of a panslavic superstate.

Perhaps the only participating country that really fought for freedom was Serbia that wanted to rid itself of Austrian rule.

So little freedom here

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse I forgot to mention the Belgians that too just defended themselves as you have rightly pointed out. All other nations pursued their own goals that had nothing to do with freedom.

[ormepipes]

@13Filmrisse Think you almost got it then! - we fought for Belgian and French freedom - which, as you say, were integral to the balance of power and the peace that Brtiain had enjoyed in Europe since Waterloo. Yes, Germany wanted to be a "super power" and sought colonial expansion. Its hypocritical for a nation with mere ambition to criticise others that actually achieved those same objectives. The fact remains that Britain would not have gone to war in Europe in 1914 if there had (continued)

[ormepipes]

@13Filmrisse been no German invasion of Belgium. The Germans thought we would'nt risk a european war over a "scrap of paper" and they were wrong. One further point regarding "Empire" - These were the standards of the time and your hindsight a wonderful thing. I could however continue to defend the British Empire even today. There were many benefits of being part of it as well as disadvantages. What, do you think contributed most to making India a nation able to compete on a (continued)

[ormepipes]

@13Filmrisse global modern stage? - I could and would argue that their experience of British rule gave them at least some of the vital experience to make their current position in the modern world possible. And may God bless India in its freedom and may it go from strength to strength. Also, if Germany had won the Great War - what sort of Europe would we have today? - and what sort of freedom? The allied sacrifice of the Great War was worth it - we should never forget it, or it may happen again.

[13Filmrisse]

@ormepipes I guess the Indians saw and most will see it differently. India had a very distinctive and old culture of its own making. It would not be the India of today but who knows. I am quite sure India would play a big part even without British rule.

From your comments I deduce that you are slightly biaised. Who sais that Germany wanted to conquer France or Belgium that is keep it? Belgium was unfortunately ...

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse ... just in the way when Germany wanted to attack France that was allied to Russia which was allied to Serbia that was attacked by Austria to which Germany was allied. That triggered the European war.

I don't say that the German cause was just but I say the agenda of all other belligerent nations was no better.

You ask me not to critisize Britain for having its colonies because Germany wanted the same but you critisize Germany for getting what Britain took. That's biaised.

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse But again I don't blame you. That's what you are told in your history books and BBC history movies.

BTW: This is at some time the Belgium understanding of freedom of other nations:

en dott wikipedia dott org/wiki/Congo_Free_State

I am sure any colonial power including Britain has its colonial sins. So much about "freedom".

To go back: I simply don't by this "they fought for freedom". To say this while knowing better is hypocrisy.

[ormepipes]

@13Filmrisse As you say, no empire is without blemish - and some of them have bigger blemishes than others!. German hands are not entirely clean in this regard either. Back to freedom then - your argument that Belgium was "in the way" says it all to be honest - coupled with documented German attrocities against civillians in Belgium. And with regard to not keeping their ill-gotten gains, the Germans were not showing much sign of budging out of Alsace and Lorraine were they?

[13Filmrisse]

@ormepipes I think you've misread me. My point was that invading Belgium was not a purpose of Germany as a war target but a mean to go to France. The objective therefore was not necessarily to annex it.

Alsace Lorraine was snatched in the war of 1870/71 from France who herself snatched it from Germany 230 years earlier.

I never said that Germany was without blemish (as little or as much as any other country back then) but I don't waht to go on a flame war on who has more fault.

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse Your blame war falls dead because Allied blocade caused more civilian death than Germany could have ever done in B. But that's NOT the point here. I even don't want to put more blame on Britain or France. I just cannot stand this hypocritical claim that "fighting for freedom" was what drove the allied governments to go to war. They gave a sh1t on freedom of other countries as they showed in their respective colonies. Each singular belligerent country pursued its own interest.

[13Filmrisse]

@13Filmrisse The pity is that so many young men died for this stupid government interest on both sides. That's the tragedy of it all.

[merryploughboyira]

yea or think about the poor iliterit irish hoping off the boat to a new countrie being told to sign a piece of paper and walk this way only to be sent to war

[PapaNoMidokoro]

As andygirvan2 pointed out in a comment below, this video is actually TWO compositions: the violin solo up to 1:57 is "The Battle of the Somme"; the Luke Kelly song following is "Freedom Come-All-Ye" (tune of "The Bloody Fields of Flanders"), one of Scotland's unofficial alternative anthems.

[Ruddy07011]

Surely the most mournful tune ever written?

[CountryQuestion]

The first world war was a war fought by working men from different countries - none superior, none inferior. Just men used as pawns by those seeking to keep their notion of "pride"

[Lipton43]

The funny thing about this view is, it ignores the fact that upper class and upper-middle class youths were some of the first to volunteer, and died in droves. I am by no means putting down the hundreds of thousands of brave working class folks (my own ancestors were farmers or textile workers at the time) but one should not forget the lawyers, bankers, doctors, etc and their sons who fought and died in the war.

[Mashakur84]

Yes - and think about of all that "intellectual" which were very euphoric to fight for their countries - until they recogniced the brutal and degrading character of war.... Best example: Georg Trakl who commited suicide because of his wbad experience in WW I .... Anyway: Whatever class or nationality - no one should be forced to fight...

[scania27]

the upper classes led these men to there deaths these so call doctors lawers and wankers sorry bankers were mostly incompetent idiots who had no care for the lower classes.tali ho boys keep going keep running at that machine gun in the name of king and country.please what a load of crock

[rafhenlow]

@CountryQuestion Actually you will find that whole villages went, including the bosses son as an officer. No actual officer trained for war. "All be over by christmas."

[a1stooge]

@CountryQuestion isnt that every war?

[Jayden1201]

@ospreymate

thanks for the lyrics, but there is missing the 3rd verse?!

Amazing Luke, shine on!

[stryder87]

So moving, this song makes me feel so good. God Bless Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, and the rest of Dubliners. By the way I Was wondering if anyone new a site for me to get the lyrics?

[joeygsmom]

Kellyoneill's site has them under "more info"

lyrics are wonderful btw!

[joeygsmom]

the instramental even has so much feeling, you can "feel" its a sad yet hopefyul song even before Luke starts to sing (which of course is also sublime)

[brcp4321]

Exactly right very well put. Sad yet hopeful .

[nacho1560]

Beautiful tribute to the brave men who died on the Somme, on both sides. "A man's a man for a that" no matter what side sent him into bat.

There was more between ordinary Brits and Germans in this war than between the soldiers and their generals.

A sad and tragic waste of life.

[joeygsmom]

well spoken

[koelnerwutzmann]

@nacho1560 , voll korrekt, deswegen EU, you are right, this is the mainreason for The european federation.

[glaveror]

@nacho1560 exactly and amen to that! That was a completely pointless war..as if there was a such one. 

[andygirvan2]

You'll find more info on these two compositions if you do a search on the following and find the same tracks under a different video.

Luke Kelly Battle Of The Somme, Freedom Come All Ye

[ospreymate]

Nae mair will oor bonnie callants

March tae war when oor hoodies crowsely craw,

Nor wee weans frae pitheid an' clachan

Watch the ships sailin' doon the Broomielaw.

Broken faim'lies in lands we've hairriet

Will curse Scotland the Brave nae mair, nae mair

Black an' white, ane till ither mairriet

Mak' the vile barracks o' the maisters bare.

[ospreymate]

Roch the wind in the clear day's dawin'

Blaws the cloods heelster-gowdy o'er the bay,

But there's mair nor a roch wind blawin'

Through the great glen o' the warld the day.

It's a thocht that will gar oor rottans,

A' they rogues that gan gallus, fresh and gay,

Tak' the road and seek ither lawins

For their ill ploys tae sport an' play.

[brcp4321]

thank you so much for that osperymate i can make most of it out now !! thanks for your trouble

[brcp4321]

Wonderful Luke at his best again thank you for posting this any idea when this was ?

[rpgplayer101]

The Battle of the Somme was in, I think 1916.

The song itsself is from the late 70s if im correct.

[CULAVE]

rpgplayer101- youre right- the Somme campaign, one of the deadliest in history, was an allied campaign led by the British to relieve French fighting at Verdun and push German forces back over the salient of northern France. It took place in the second half of 1916. There was also a smaller engagement, also called the battle of the Somme in 1918.

[spiritoftaira]

@rpgplayer101 July 1st 1916 was the date of the battle. Over 800 Newfoundlanders went over the top and hardly 60 answered roll call the next morning. Not to forget the countless others that fought.

[HateFenians]

Why do Nationalists of the North like to Ignore the brave men from the South who fought in Belgium and France?

[3tangle3]

@HateFenians it was a totally stupid war to be fair...and why would nationalists be proud of people who fought with whatis perceived as the enemy.........its easier just to blame the normans who were total cunts and have done...people nowadays have nothing to do with those megalomanics lol

[sam22ish]

@HateFenians I Don't

[3tangle3]

@HateFenians north pole? north and south is relative

[HateFenians]

I guess they'd be murdered by the cowardly PIRA had WW1 been in 1970.

[3tangle3]

@HateFenians what the fuck u on about

[HateFenians]

The IRA cowards stayed behind and fought old men, homebased soldiers and Police men who weren't fit enough to go to War, real Irish Catholics went to both Wars to prevent what would have happened GERMANIA!

What I'm saying is the IRA would see the Allies as enemy combatants!

[Che870]

@HateFenians = JUST MRMICKROACH THE COCKING TROLL AT IT AGAIN TROLL AWAY YA BULLSHITTER

YOU MAKE LESS SENSE BY THE DAY :--)

[HateFenians]

Really, Carson's men were sent to war to fight against Germany and Austria, weren't Carson's men the army you lot would have faced in 1916 had they not been on the Somme in 1916 with their fellow Irish men????

I bet you will say no Catholics were involved in WW1 just like you would say there was no Catholic troops on the side of Willem aswell as the Pope backing him!!!!!

[Che870]

@HateFenians PEOPLE LIKE ME WOULD SAY YER A FUCKING TROLLING ARSEHOLE :---) WITH FUCK ALL TO SAY YER USERNAME SAYS IT FOR YOU BIGOT WANK

[HateFenians]

Thats rich, you called me a monkey a while back aswell as a dirty smelly fucken hun!

[Che870]

@HateFenians MM YOUR THAT COCKSUCKER MRMICKROACH ARNT YOU :-)

[birdy424]

@HateFeniansFuck off dickhead!!

[birdy424]

@birdy424 it will happen someday even with bigoted dickheads like yourselves around!!

[birdy424]

@HateFenians Real Irish told ye to go fuck yourselves!!!

[HateFenians]

I bet if them lads hadn't went to war there wouldn't be an Ireland at all, the world would be shared between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

[uporabn1k]

@HateFenians You really think Germany and A-H were interested in British isles? It was all about colonies and theyr riches. So basically Irish and Scottish were dying so British could keep their colonies that Irish and Scottish didn't have much from in the first place. And to spare France form ass wooping.

[HateFenians]

My great great grandfather was a farmer in Donegal, he came to Belfast with nothing.

Who's fault is that?

The IRA or the Government?

[andygirvan2]

The first instrumental part is a Scottish bagpipe tune called The Battle of the Somme.

The tune itself was composed shortly after the battle of the Somme, (in which over half a million soldiers were killed), by Pipe Major William Laurie of the 8th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

It was commonly regarded as the best composition of the First World War. Unfortunately Pipe Major Laurie died later that year of illness after being invalided home.

[brcp4321]

thank you for that info a wonderful lament and lasting memory to Pipe Major Laurie and all who died or were maimed on the Somme do you know where i can find the words - although Lukes word are a good Scottish i cant quite 'ken' them all ! has anyone else sung this or released it . composed by a scotsman sung by an irish man and enjoyed by an englishman ! the war to end all wars ?