Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band - Dixieland

I am Kilrain and I'm a fightin' man and I come from County Clare
And the Brits would hang me for a Fenian so I took me leave of there
And I crossed the ocean in the "Arrianne" the vilest tub afloat
And the captain's brother was a railroad man and he met us the boat
So I joined up with the 20th Maine like I said my friend I'm a fighting man
And we're marchin' south in the pouring rain and we're all goin' down to Dixieland

I am Kilrain of the 20th Maine and we fight for Chamberlain
Cause he stood right with us when the Johnnies came like a banshee on the wind
When the smoke cleared out of Gettysburg many a mother wept
For many a good boy died there, sure, and the air smelted just like death

I am Kilrain of the 20th Maine and I'd march to hell and back again
For Colonel Joshua Chamberlain - we're all goin' down to Dixieland

I am Kilrain of the 20th Maine and I damn all gentlemen
Whose only worth is their father's name and the sweat of a workin' man
Well we come from the farms and the city streets and a hundred foreign lands
And we spilled our blood in the battle's heat
Now we're all Americans

I am Kilrain of the 20th Maine and did I tell you friend I'm a fightin' man
And I'll not be back this way again, cause we're all goin' down to Dixieland

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Steve
• Earle
• &
• The
• Del
• McCoury
• Band
• Dixieland

[CarolinaOcelot]

DAMN ALL GENTLEMAN

I'm gonna get that tattooed.

[Boppaloppagus]

just gotta love this fun, gritty tune....

[romanreb]

Poor dumb bastards...escaping the bloody English Aristocracy only to die for the Yankee Industrial Aristocracy...God rest them and give them peace.

[raisin212k]

@Horsemarine100 That would be to assume that said character had not already traveled to Dixieland several times prior. By Gettysburg the war was already two years old ;)

[ajferet]

@Horsemarine100 the character fought at Fredricksburg and at Chancellorsville and 1st and 2nd Bull Run... so Virginia is Dixieland

[Ms2blackcats]

@zuzulo56 My great great grandfather stepped off in New York ended up in Virginia . He had no idea what was going on. He was fifteen. He did survive his brother's didn't but I guess that was better than what they'd been through in Ireland. Thank you for thinking about all of them. I'm especially proud of the Irish!

[OldSchoolPatriot2012]

To Joshua Lawrence Chamberlien and the heroes of the 20th Maine! May the rest in peace.

[Horsemarine100]

The "real" Kilrain of the 20th Maine was a fictional character, but typified many real ones. He died on Little Round Top at Gettysburg, so he never got to Dixieland.

[rocmaven]

i am going to see ricky skaggs on aug 26 at watseka theatre watseka illinois,

[Reddirtgirl55Again]

ACE!!!!!!!!!

[5thcorps]

A song truly befitting of the great 20th Maine and the incomparable Bvt. Maj. General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Standing at the General's grave is an eerie experience, the grave rubbing hangs in my living room.