Any nation whose sons had to die on the battlefield composes songs condemning the war and expressing the unwillingness of ordinary people to die for dubious ideals. The Irish were forced to fight very often, so there are more than enough such ballads in their folklore.
One of them was the composition Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye (literally, “Johnny, I barely recognized you”), which was initially comic, but eventually acquired an anti-war character.
The story of creation and the meaning of the song Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
It is believed that the story of the work began in the late eighteenth – early nineteenth centuries, when in Ceylon the British fought with the Dutch for the right to possess the island. Soldiers from Ireland took part in the fighting. In their ranks, apparently, a folk ballad was born.
At the beginning of Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, it is performed from the point of view of a disabled person returning home. At the end of the first verse, a woman enters, who addresses Johnny by name and says that she barely recognized him. Further, it turns out that he left her with the child and went to war, with which he came as a poor cripple. At the same time, his former lover says that she is still glad to see him, and declares that she will never let her children fight.
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye was first published in London in 1867. In Ireland, the United States and Great Britain, it remained popular until the early twentieth century.
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
Many famous musicians sang it, including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. One of the most successful versions belongs to The Clancy Brothers. Also popular is the punk variant of the Dropkick Murphys.
Guided solely by personal preferences, I suggest listening to Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye performed by The Irish Rovers.
Interesting Facts
- Sulloon, mentioned by the woman in the song, means Ceylon, where the war was going on, with which Johnny returned.
- There was an opinion that the American Civil War song When Johnny Comes Marching Home, performed on the same tune, was a reworking of Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye. But the researchers proved the unreliability of this assumption.
- Some or all of the melody (and sometimes lyrics) of Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye is used in English Civil War punk songs from The Clash and I Met a Girl in the Park by The Rugby.
- The song was the title of a book by Kenneth O’Donnell and David Powers about President John F. Kennedy.
- A line from The Cranberries Zombie that mentions tanks and bombs may be a reference to this song.
Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye Lyrics
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin’ the road to sweet Athy
A stick in my hand and a drop in my eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew you
chorus:
With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your drums and guns and drums and guns
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew you
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your eyes that were so mild
When my heart you so beguiled
Why did ye run from me and the child
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew you
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run, hurroo, hurroo
Where are your legs that used to run
When you went for to carry a gun
Indeed your dancing days are done
Oh Johnny, I hardly knew you
I’m happy to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy to see ye home
All from the island of Sulloon
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew you
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven’t an arm, ye haven’t a leg
Ye’re an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye’ll have to put with a bowl out to run
Oh Johnny I hardly knew you
They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They’re rolling out the guns again, hurroo, hurroo
They’re rolling out the guns again
But they will never take our sons again
No they will never take our sons again
Johnny I’m wearing to ye
Lyrics of Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye Alternate
While I wandered into my native Atay, hurrah, hurrah!
While I wandered into my native Atay, hurrah, hurrah!
While I wandered to my native Atay
With a crutch in my hand and a tear in my eye
I heard the maiden exclaim sadly:
Johnny, I don’t recognize you at all
Chorus:
You’ve got drums and guns, drums and guns, hooray, hooray!
You’ve got drums and guns, drums and guns, hooray, hooray!
You’ve got drums and guns, drums and guns
But the enemy nearly killed you all
Oh my dear, you are very weak
Johnny, I don’t recognize you at all
Where is your look that was so gentle? Hurrah Hurrah!
Where is your look that was so gentle? Hurrah Hurrah!
Where is your look that was so gentle
When did you capture my heart?
Why did you leave me with the child?
Oh Johnny, you’re unrecognisable
Where are your legs that were so fast? Hurrah Hurrah!
Where are your legs that were so fast? Hurrah Hurrah!
Where are your legs that were so fast
When did you decide to take up a gun?
Now you don’t have to dance
Oh Johnny, you’re unrecognisable
I’m glad you’re back home, hooray, hooray!
I’m glad you’re back home, hooray, hooray!
I’m glad you came home
From the distant island of Salloun
Way you are now skin and bones
Oh Johnny, you’re unrecognisable
You don’t have an arm, you don’t have a leg, hooray, hooray!
You don’t have an arm, you don’t have a leg, hooray, hooray!
You don’t have an arm, you don’t have a leg
You’re good for nothing now
And forced to beg
Oh Johnny, you’re unrecognisable
They’re rolling out the guns again, hooray, hooray!
They’re rolling out the guns again, hooray, hooray!
They roll out the guns again
But they can’t take our sons anymore
No, they can’t take our sons anymore
Johnny I swear to you
