here's piece by Manus O'Riordan from the recent tribute to Jack Jones at the Imperial War Museum. Connolly's song was adopted by the battalion as a marching song.
The British Battalion's anti-imperialism was even more strongly affirmed by its adoption, as one of its marching anthems throughout the course of the Spanish Anti-fascist War, of James Connolly's own "Rebel Song". At the IBMT Pyrenees commemoration ceremonies in the Figueras fortress of Castell de Sant Ferran, there were three International Brigade veterans present: the late Bob Doyle of Dublin and the late Jack Jones, a Liverpool Club supporter, accompanied by his lifelong comrade and friend from youth - notwithstanding the fact that he's an Everton supporter! - this veteran whom, to the end of his days, Jack Jones both addressed and referred to as Young Jackie Edwards, although his senior by only one year! . And in that Catalan fortress, on Easter Sunday 2006, there could be heard, loud and clear, the voices of both of those Liverpudlian brigadista Jacks, as they heartily joined with me in singing these verses by James Connolly:
CONNOLLY'S REBEL SONG
Come workers sing a rebel song,
a song of love and hate,
of love unto the lowly
and of hatred to the great.
The great who trod our fathers down,
who steal our children's bread,
whose hands of greed are stretched to rob
the living and the dead.
Chorus:
Then we'll sing a rebel song
as we proudly march along
to end the age-old tyranny
that makes for human tears.
And our march is nearer done
with each setting of the sun
and the tyrant's might is passing
with the passing of the years!
We sing no more of wailing
No songs of sighs or tears;
high are our hopes and stout our hearts
and banished all our fears.
Our flag is raised above us
that all the world may see,
'tis Labour's faith and Labour's arm
alone can Labour free.
Chorus
Out of the depths of misery
we march with hearts aflame;
with wrath against the rulers false
who wreck our manhood's name.
The serf who licks the tyrant's rod
may bend forgiving knee;
The slave who breaks his slavery's chain
a wrathful man must be.
Chorus
Our army marches onward
its face towards the dawn,
in trust secure in that one thing
the slave may lean upon.
The might within the arm of him
who knowing freedom's worth,
strikes hard to banish tyranny
from off the face of earth.
Then we'll sing a rebel song as we proudly march along
to end the age-old tyranny
that makes for human tears
And our march is nearer done with each setting of the sun,
and the tyrant's might is passing with the passing of the years
LINK to sheet music here
Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 10:05 PM
My grandfather recorded several songs, at least two of which I believe were written in English (Connolly Column Song and the Song of the American Consul; the second was my favorite as a kid;) the Smithsonian now has the collection. The PDF with lyrics and stories is free, and you can hear clips for free as well. Al Tocar Diana: At the Break of Dawn: Songs from a Franco Prison, by Max Parker I think the English parts of the Manana song were originally in English, but of course it has lengthy Spanish bits.
From: GeoffLawes - PM
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 07:56 PM
I have received an interesting songbook of Spanish Civil War-related songs called THEIR SONGS NOT FORGOTTEN from Lynda Walker in Belfast. It was published in 2006, in honour of the men of the International Brigades and besides containing 22 songs and poems it also carries some interesting information about some of the songs which have not so far surfaced in this thread. I have Lynda's permission to post this information here and will do so in the following posts.Connolly's Rebel Song
This is a workers' song written by James Connolly. It first appeared in 1903 in the May number of an Edinburgh paper, the Socialist. (*John McDonnell, 1979, p. 42–43.) The Irish adopted the song as their anthem during the fight against the fascists in Spain. At a meeting in Belfast on 17 May 2006 Manus O'Riordan said that his father, Michael O'Riordan, learnt the words of the song whilst he was fighting in Spain. In Connolly Column Michael writes: "The Scottish comrades sang a song that they had well preserved, but which at that time had almost disappeared in Ireland: Connolly's 'Rebel Song'." (p. 126)
*McDonnell, John (1979) SONGS OF STRUGGLE AND PROTEST. Dublin: Gilbert Dalton.