Johnny we hardly knew ye
Johnny we hardly knew ye è un canto pacifista nato in Irlanda nei primi dell’800, risalente ad alcune battaglie combattute a Ceylon -Sulloon- da soldati irlandesi provenienti da un paese chiamato Athy.
In approfondimento il testo originale
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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 me hand and a drop in me eye
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns
The enemy nearly slew ye
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ye.
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 ye.
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 ye.
I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I’m happy for to see ye home
All from the island of Sulloon
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
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 be put with a bowl out to beg,
Oh Johnny I hardly knew ye.
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 never will take our sons again,
No they never will take our sons again,
Johnny I’m swearing to ye.
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Da questo canto deriva una versione americana, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, popolare durante la Guerra civile americana.
In tempi recenti sono state entrambe rivisitate, per esempio in qualche versione a cappella -ricordate lo spot della Seat?- oppure in chiave punk.
La versione ‘irlandese’ che ascoltate sopra viene proposta nel 2007 dai Dropkick Murphys nell’album The Meanest Of Times.
La versione ‘americana’ viene invece dal 1979 ad opera dei Clash sotto il nome di ‘English Civil War’, e la trovate qui di seguito.
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Il post di Mario Juana mi ha fatto rimembrare sta canzone, in particolare nella versione ‘contaminata’ punk.
Io preferisco i Dropkick Murphys, anche se la canzone in se’ mi piace in qualunque versione.
