Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War

Subject: Lyr Add: PICASSO PAINTS GUERNICA
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 22 Jun 12 - 12:38 PM

PICASSO PAINTS GUERNICA

By Robin Laing


They call me Pablo the painter
This land is not my home
But I love my art
So I choose to live
Where the value of art is known


I stand before this canvas
That fills the entire room
And there's a story
I must tell
Of an April afternoon


Far away in the distance
A small speck appears
And like an angry insect
The swelling sound
Of danger death and fear


I close my eyes to remember
Fond images of Spain
Now a tortured
Country tossed
On an endless sea of pain


I see the bulls and the picadors
Blood upon the sand
And my dark-eyed
Senorita with
A candle in her hand


Black bombs come raining
From a silk cerulean sky
And in the smoke, the ash and the flame
The people fall
Scream and choke and cry

   
Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world


A newspaper horse is dying
It falls down to the floor
I'll tell this story
In black and white
For sometimes less is more


And I will paint these voices
I hear them in my head
They tell me terror
Stalks the land
And innocence is dead


And all the vibrant colours
As spring returns to Spain
Were blacked out in an instant
And nothing there
Will ever be the same


Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world

Listen To Picasso Paints Guernica by Robin Laing on YouTube
Many thanks to Robin Laing for letting us have his lyrics and also the following information which he wrote for the sleeve notes of the Cd coming out on 1st August 2012 from Greentrax recordings: No Pasaran (They shall not pass) - Scots in the Spanish Civil War. http://www.greentrax.com/music/artists/reviews/no-pasaran/


As a student in the 1970's I had a poster of Guernica on my wall but I had no idea that the original painting was about the size of a goal mouth. Much more recently, watching Simon Schama's short BBC film about Picasso and reading Patrick O' Brian's biography of the artist, I came to realise the importance of the painting. Picasso, living in Paris in the spring of 1937, painted it in almost immediate response to an atrocity, in which German aircraft carpet bombed the town of Guernica as a favour to Franco and as a way of testing out Blitzkrieg tactics.

Subject: Lyr Add: GRAVES IN SPAIN
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 28 Jun 12 - 08:37 AM

GRAVES IN SPAIN

By Mary Brooksbank ( words) and Eileen Penman ( tune)
Listen to Graves In Spain by Eileen Penman HERE on YouTube

Tread softly, senoritas, o'er their lonely graves,
Spaniards mute your voices for our dead;
Stars shine steadfast, eternal vigil keep,
Light soft the soil around each valiant head.
No mercenaries they, the world's beloved,
Christ's images by fear and greed betrayed;
No raucous cheers, no tinsel show, no glory,
No blaring bands, no banners o'er them waved.
A future age shall write their selfless story,
Pioneers of progress, the path you paved
The world's marching feet shall tread again
When history's final battle humanity has saved;
Rest ye, the world's best and bravest,
In your lonely graves in Spain

Tread softly, senoritas, o'er their lonely graves,
Spaniards mute your voices for our dead;
Stars shine steadfast, eternal vigil keep,
Light soft the soil around each valiant head.


The words for this song, as they appear above, were written by Mary Brooksbank in the 1930's and the tune was added by by Eileen Penman
The song, performed by Eileen Penman appears on the Cd coming out on 1st August 2012 from Greentrax recordings: No Pasaran (They shall not pass) - Scots in the Spanish Civil War. See http://www.greentrax.com/music/artists/reviews/no-pasaran/

Mary Brooksbank wrote a number of well known songs including The Dundee Lassie which appears above in this thread because it includes a verse referring to the Spanish Civil War thread.cfm?ThreadID=128093#dundee

Here are links to information about Mary Brooksbank: http://www.alternative-perth.co.uk/marybrooksbank.htm

http://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70:mary-brooksbank&catid=2:b&Itemid=98

Here are a number of recordings of Mary Brooksbank talking to Hamish Henderson
http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/58761/8;jsessionid=79C13B0076EC4D321C440497A0ADC558

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GHOSTS OF CABLE STREET
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 01 Jul 12 - 11:05 AM

THE GHOSTS OF CABLE STREET


By The Men They Couldn't Hang


England, 1936.
The grip of the Sabbath day
In London town the only sound
Is a whisper in an alleyway
Men put on their gloves and boots
Have a smoke before they go
From the west there is a warning of
A wind about to blow

Like Caesar marching to the East
Marches Mosley with his men
Dressed in their clothes of deepest black
Like a gathering hurricane
This is the British Union
With its flag of black and red
A flag that casts a shadow in
Berlin and in Madrid

So listen to the sound of marching feet
And the voices of the ghosts of Cable Street
Fists and stones and batons and the gun
With courage we shall beat those blackshirts down

So mile by mile they come on down
To a place called Cable Street
And other men are waiting there
Preparations are complete
Mosley comes so close
They now can see his outstretched arm
A hand raised up that way
Never took the future in its palm

Listen to the sound of marching feet
And the voices of the ghosts of Cable Street
Fists and stones and batons and the gun
With courage we shall beat those blackshirts down

The battle broke as the fists and the batons fell
Through the barricades came the sound of the wounded yells
Jack Spot burst through with a chair leg made of lead
Brought down a crashing blow on Mosley's head

And so we learn from history generations have to fight
And those who crave for mastery
Must be faced down on sight
And if that means by words, by fists, by stones or by the gun

Remember those who stood up for
Their daughters and their sons

Listen to the sound of marching feet
And the voices of the ghosts of Cable Street
Fists and stones and batons and the gun
With courage we shall beat those blackshirts down

Listen to the sound of marching feet
And the voices of the ghosts of Cable Street
Fists and stones and batons and the gun
With courage we shall beat those blackshirts down

Thanks to Jim Jump for pointing out that this song refers to the Spanish civil War in the final line of verse two.
   
VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzKv5gjOzTA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OunChfGaf3M

FURTHER INFORMATION
WIKIPEDIA on THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG

WIKIPEDIA on THE BATTLE OF CABLE STREET

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SPANISH PEOPLE
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 12 Jul 12 - 09:39 AM

THE SPANISH PEOPLE
words - Anon, music - Samuel Pokrass

The Spanish people defend their right
For freedom and progress and truth they fight,
Now shall we delay while our comrades die
To strengthen our peace and our liberty?

Against the Hitlers, the Mussolinis!
Against the fascist enemy!
For peace and progress, for truth and freedom,
For people's true democracy!

Against the Hitlers, the Mussolinis!
Against the fascist enemy!
For peace and progress, for truth and freedom,
For people's true democracy!



Thank you to Clare Roberts for sending this song to me.
In her email she wrote
This song was taught to us by our mother, Hilda Richardson, who was 16 when the Spanish Civil War started and who was active with her mother, Beatrice Davis, in collecting for the republican cause on the streets of London, throughout the war.

As we travelled to our camping holidays during childhood we would sing it, along with a list of other songs, and thus learnt it off by heart.

The Richardson clan sung it last in public at the unveiling of the mosaic in Portobello Road.

http://www.kcc.ac.uk/news/art-and-design/echoes-spanish-civil-war    
               

Clare and her sister Zoe can be seen singing the chorus of the song in a film on YouTube made by Marshall Mateer of the recent walk across the Pyrenees to commemorate the brigaders who climbed the Pyrenees to cross into Spain. ( 9.05 minutes into the film)
http://www.youtube.com/user/IBMTnews?feature=guide

The song uses the tune of a Russian song from the period of the Russian Civil War called White Army, Black Baron which can be heard in this YouTube video
Here v=jRfYh_0mEdM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRfYh_0mEdM

There is a Wikipedia entry for the song here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Army,_Black_Baron


As Wikipedia says, the Russian song was adopted by the Chapaev Battalion of the XIII International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War and that version of the song appeared in the International Brigades Songbook, Canciones de las Brigadas Internacionales which you can see entitled Tschapajew - Sturmbatallion if you scroll up to page 34 from this link http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QONMZ1p4ZJYC&pg=PA135&dq=canciones+de+las+brigadas+internacionales+34&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kBD-T-TXF
Here the tune is called Roter Armeemarsch an alternative name for the tune of White Army, Black Baron and the new words in German were written by the German poet Walter Fuchs, who later died on the Teruel front.

The song was also sung in this translated form by the British Battalion of the 15th Brigade

Many long years into history have passed,
Since red revolt was victorious ,
Then Lenin called and to victory led on,
" Forward Chapaev, the path is set".

CHORUS
And*we will Franco, his ranks demolish,
The great Miaja leads us on,
And on our rifles depends our freedom,
No pasaran, No pasaran.

Hitler and Franco your future is black,
Workers' battalions are driving you back,
Sons of the masses forever we'll be ,
Forward red soldiers to victory.

* On page 63 of his 1981 biographical book No Other Way about his grandfather Jack Russia ( John Roberts), Richard Felsted quotes the first line of the chorus slightly differently,
'Now we will Franco's ranks demolish, '
My words are from a tape I heard of brigaders singing the song.

The American volunteers also used the song as a marching song and the chorus is quoted in Alvah Bessie's 1957 novel The Un-Americans in this passage on page 229:

He recalled the song they used to sing when they were marching:
"And we will Franco ... his ranks demolish . . . the great Miaja
leads us on ... and on our rtfles . . . depends our freedom ... no
pasaran, no pasaran!"

This tune was also used for a Soviet era song called "The Red Army Is The Strongest" which can be heard in a Youtube video HERE

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 31 Jul 12 - 07:59 PM

LITTLE YELLOW ROSES


By Trevor Peacock



I have just received a reply to the letter which I wrote to Trevor Peacock enquiring about the origin of the song Little Yellow Roses I reproduce the letter below, in full.

Dear Geoff,
Re-"Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War"
What a wonderful subject! I hope your searching will lead to a book, or part of a book. I don't think I can help much, but here goes…
Around 56 years ago I was involved writing scripts, and then some songs for BBC TV. The pop world was in its infancy, and I wrote for, amongst others, Joe Brown, The Vernon Girls, Jess Conrad, and Adam Faith. I seem to remember writing Little Yellow Roses for a B side for Adam in about 1962. I wrote the tune and the lyrics, and John Barry did that particular arrangement, as I worked with him a lot. I hadn't heard the song for half a century until your letter arrived. I don't remember writing it for the Spanish Civil War specifically – it was a song for ALL freedom fighters really. So I'm afraid Fay Hield has made the wrong assumption. I'm now wondering if it's registered with PRS, so I'd better check. I hope this clarifies the situation.

Yours, Trevor Peacock

There was a PS written on the back of the envelope which said Yes, fully documented with P.R.S."Little Yellow Roses"

Thank you for giving us the provenance of your song Trevor and thanks to all the Mudcatters who contributed to the chase.
I have now relocated all the posts about this song so that they can be reached using a link in the TOPIC LIST

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Fay
Date: 01 Aug 12 - 05:08 AM

Nice to hear from Trevor Peacock, and to have a definitive on this. Just to clarify, I never said I believed this to date from the Spanish Civil War, the language is far to contemporary, but it was suggested to me that that is the period in which it was set. This appears to be too specific from the intention of the author, though not contradicting his intentions. It does draw nice new questions about the development of meaning and inherited or associated meanings, a subject of particular relevance for traditional music, the realm of which this pop song has now entered.

Glad the PRS is sorted too, that could have been embarrassing!

All the best,
Fay

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild
Date: 09 Aug 12 - 08:49 AM

Turned out nicely, TP should be proud and pleased with the rendition Fay

If we explored the provenance of ballads and 'songs of the people' I'm sure we'd find many creative and inspired individual compositions rather than the 'unsung annals of the poor'. Although I know a lot of poor musicians!!

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 06:09 AM

Yes Mike. A good song is a good song and Fay's performance is wonderful.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: Owen Woodson
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 11:21 AM

New CD of Scots songs about the Spanish civil war

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 12 Aug 12 - 03:59 PM

Thank you for posting that link Owen. In the Songlist, at the top of this thread, we have links to all the songs written in English on the record except for Come Comrades, Who Will Fight For Spain which Ian McCalman said he will send.

Does anyone know if the poem on the record , Hasta La Vista is the same as the poem Hasta La Vista Madrid written by Bob Cooney,who was commissar in the British Battalion? It is posted on Dick Gaughan's Song Archive http://www.dickgaughan.co.uk/songs/texts/hastalav.html?

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,David Francis
Date: 29 Aug 12 - 08:28 PM

It is the Bob Cooney poem.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 30 Aug 12 - 10:11 AM

Thank you GUEST, David Francis I now have a copy of the CD and as you say the poem is the one written by Bob Cooney. The advance publicity which I saw gave the title as Hasta La Vista but the CD correctly names it Hasta La Vista- Madrid! , Bob Cooney's title.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 06:46 AM

Hi Geoff, I have at last found the cassette I made of Bob Cooney at my parent's house in the 80s. I'm trying to get my cassettes digitised.In the meantime I'll send you a cassette copy.

After a tip from my son who saw them in Sheffield I just found a link to a Youtube clip of indie band The Book Club, their album Death in the Afternoon (July 2011), has a first track that is broadly about the struggle in Spain and named after the Hemingway story.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild
Date: 09 Sep 12 - 06:49 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f95I7fnrNz8

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,David Francis
Date: 21 Sep 12 - 06:27 PM

Eileen made the tune for this version of the song herself.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,David Francis
Date: 21 Sep 12 - 06:33 PM

Apologies, I thought my previous post would appear next to the one with the info about 'Graves in Spain'.    Eileen Penman made the tune for Graves in Spain, is what I should have said.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild
Date: 17 Nov 12 - 07:43 AM

Following the launch of Greentrax CD, Scots in the Spanish Civil War there will be a concert at Celtic Connexions in Glasgow Jauary 2013

Some would sayit is a nationalistic slant on the International Brigades but there are songs in Spanish etc

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Nov 12 - 06:35 PM

More details here:

Scots in Spanish Civil War Concert

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jun 13 - 06:43 PM

\here is a blue click link of the Youtube video for The Book club - Death in the Afternoon which mike Wild gA The Book club - Death in the Afternoon

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Malcolm Rushworth.
Date: 22 Jul 13 - 04:14 PM

My Father, Jack Rushworth, born Oldham 1910 was a very good friend of Clem. Becket and raced with him at the area dirt track arenas, probably about 1925 or so. My dad was not so successfull, and had an underpowered bike. Some years later my Fathers family moved to Hull, and he worked with his Brother in Law at Fred Cook Transport (Hull) Ltd. In the early 1930's Clem arrived at our House in Hull, and asked my father to join him with his Wall of Death which he was going to set-up at Hull Fair a major fair, but as he was not a member of The Showman's Guild he couldn't get perm ission to erect his "wall" anywhere near the fair itself and eventually the project which he had seen when living in Sweden didn't create the income that was needed I have assumed. In about 1936 Clem called again (ususally in a GP racing Bugatti) and asked m y father to accompany him to Spain to be responsible for the ambulance fleet that The Unions and workers had made possible. Dad had, by them family responsibilities and declined. My father was forever upset about the death in Spain of Clem. but as with other things in his life he was very closed lipped in all the years I knew him - he died in 1977. I hope this is of interest, however I have no photos to offer. The family scrapbook went a long time ago. Malcolm Rushworth now 74 years.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 09:53 AM

THE RAT (NAMED FRANCO)

words by Harry Berlow, folk tune " The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night"

A big thank you to Joe Offer for finding this song in Vol 1 Number 10 of the People's Songs Bulletin and for posting it on another Mudcat thread Lyr Req: The Rat (Named Franco) HERE
If anyone can add more information about the song that would be good. It would be interesting to know if it has been recorded and if anyone remembers it being performed.

Geoff

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 29 Oct 13 - 10:32 AM

Here is a blue click link to a Youtube video of the song The Fox Went Out On a chilly night whose tune is the folk tune used for The Rat(Named Franco)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe13YHhU_9E

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: mikesamwild
Date: 27 Jul 14 - 12:54 PM

Pleased to report that the song I wrote to celebrate the IBrs being awarded Spanish Citizenship in 2009; Our Open Eyes Could See No Other Way has been translated into Catalan as Obrint els Ulls and sung today at a memorial in Aragon to remember the Battle of The Ebro. More news later.I hear that it may get into Castillian and Asturian and Basque and even Chilean Spanish . I did an unaccompanied 'selfie' recording in the attic by video on iPhone , sent it to YouTube and from there to friends via Facebook and bingo!
It could be an interesting aural/oral process.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 29 Jul 14 - 06:58 PM

Well done Mike .

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 14 - 06:31 AM

Na Maraa folk duo based in St Albans present songs with S C War theme.

One of them had close connections to those times, hence he came to be living in England .

I've attended a gig of theirs and was moved and educated, but then I had read Geurnica

Na Mara, check them out

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 14 - 06:37 AM

Rob Garcia and Paul Macnamara rarara

are

na-mara, search/seake and thou shalt fynde

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 19 May 15 - 11:27 AM

CLEM BECKETT
By Roy Blackman

I have just found the words to another song about speedway rider and SCW volunteer Clem Beckett. It was written and performed by Roy Blackman of Rotherham, UK. The lyrics can be seen with with this link http://royblackman.moonfruit.com/#/roys-lyrics/4586851326

or HERE

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Eduardo Freire Canosa
Date: 24 Jun 15 - 04:25 PM

Webpage Title: 11 Songs of the Spanish Civil War

7 songs from the Republican side.

4 songs from the Nationalist side.

Click here

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 27 Jul 15 - 07:15 AM

< NO PASARAN
By Gerry Kearns A song about the eight volunteers from Oldham who went to fight for the Republic in the SCW.

Thank you to Ann Berriman (Willa) who told me about this song which she heard the Oldham Tinkers perform at the recent Saddleworth Festival. John Howarth of the Oldham Tinkers has just rung me in response to my email requesting information about the song. He told me that they have not yet recorded the song which they performed for the first time at Saddleworth. He said that when they record it they will post the lyrics on the Oldham Tinkers' website
HERE

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 27 Jul 15 - 02:20 PM

I realise that "No Pasaran" was a sort of slogan (trans "They shall not pass") - but it is also the title track/name of the CD referred to above, as well as the name of the song performed by Gallo Rojo on the CD. Maybe a recipe for some confusion?

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 01 Aug 15 - 09:37 AM

On Youtube I have just found Mike Wild singing his song "Our Open Eyes Could see No Other Way".

                        Mike Wild sings Our Open Eyes could See No Other Way on YouTube

For more information about Mike's song go to the SONGLIST at the top of the thread and click on its title.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 06 Aug 15 - 09:48 PM

Oh The Lincoln Boys Fought at Jarama (THE YOUNG MAN FROM ALCALA )

Below is a link to a YouTube video The Good Fight (VII of XII)   
HERE
The video opens with a song beginning "OH THE LINCOLN BOYS FOUGHT AT JARAMA", which I am using as its title because I don't know the song's given title. Does anyone recognise the song and if so can you tell us about it? I have written the lyrics here below from what I can make out in the video but I have encased some words in brackets because I am unsure about what is being sung. I am unsure how to write down the words for the chorus.In verse 2 I think I can hear the "and" in line 2 but think it would probably not have been sung originally??? Also in verse 2 the final word "bombs"in line 3 does not fit the rhyming pattern ( perhaps "tanks" would be a better fit but I am not sure the Republic had tanks engaged at Brunette?) Any corrections would be gratefully rceived as would any information about its origins and the name of the performer on the video.


1.Oh the Lincoln boys fought at Jarama,
They made the Fascisti cry "Mamma",
They were holding the line,
For months at a time,
And for football they played (?with a bomber?)

CHORUS Yippy, yi, yaddy, yi, yay,
               Yippy, yi, yaddy, yi, yay.

2.It was there on the plains of Brunette,
Midst a hail of steel (and)confetti,
With our planes and our ( ? bombs?),
We would smash Franco's ranks,
Got sick on Italian spaghetti.

CHORUS   

3.Oh the Lincoln Battalion, "By Cracky!"
A bunch of great bastards, but wacky,
They held down the line for months at a time,
'gainst Franco, Il Duce's lackey,

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Aug 15 - 10:39 PM

The first verse of "Lincoln Boys" is reprinted in Cecil D Eby, Comrades and Commisars: The Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War, on page 111. No title is given. The verse is given as,

Oh, the Lincoln boys fought at Jarama
They made the Fascisti cry "Mama."
They held down the line
For months at a time
And for sport they would play with a bomb-a.

There's an asterisk on "bomb-a", which suggests there's a footnote somewhere in the book, but I don't have the book, I'm just looking at the one page on Google books.

The book may have some other songs of interest. On page 112 there are four verses of a Red River Valley parody starting "There's a valley in Spain called Jarama".

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Aug 15 - 10:48 PM

There's another video of this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCJzflGv7M where it's called Young Man from Alcala, and performed by The Almanac Singers. It has two additional verses, and the commenters posted their best take on the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Aug 15 - 10:57 PM

But now I see you already had Young Man From Alcala back in 2010. Anyway, the lyrics to all five verses are available at http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05436.pdf

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 07 Aug 15 - 03:53 PM

Thank you GUEST,Gerry ,
Below I have posted the link you gave to the " Young man From Alcala" in the form that Mudcat calls a "blue clicky" . Now the video can now be accessed directly by clicking on the following " blue clicky".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvCJzflGv7M
The tune sung in the Good Fight video did make me think of The Young Man From Alcala, but I did not remember the lyrics of that song well enough to make the proper connection . Yes The Good Fight song is clearly The Young Man From Alcala in a shortened form. Well done!
I have now, below, cut and pasted the comments made on The Young Man From Alcala   YouTube video about that song's lyrics

        
haralaboskesa
Against Franco's heel, Dutche's lackey

A Spaniard who hailed from Alcala
When angered would shout 'mucha mala!
' He'd toss a grenade at a Moorish Brigade And blew all the facists to Allah

haralaboskesa
Oh the Lincoln boys fought at Jarama
They made the fascisti cry 'Mama!'
They were holding the line for months at a time
And for football they would play with bomma
Yippy ..
.
A codger from ol' Albacete Took ...... ?
When asked how he felt he just hitched up his belt
And said I can't tell just as yetta
Yippy

Cracken1979

Oh the Lincoln Battalion by crackey
A bunch of brave bozos though whacky
They held down the line for months at a time
'Gainst Franco xxx and his lackey.
Yippy ....

't Was there on the plains of Brunete
Midst a hail of steel confetti
With our planes and our bombs we would xxx Franco's ranks
And pick out Italian spagetta

Cracken1979
...against Franco Il Duces's lackey



Here is a "blue clicky " link to your other useful led to the Smithsonian Folkways site

< a href="http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05436.pdf">http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05436.pdf
LINK TO LINER Notes for Songs OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR VOL1 FROM SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE
http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05436.pdf

Below are the Lyrics which the site gives for the song,

THE YOUNG MAN FROM ALCALA

A Spaniard who hails from Alcala,
When angered would shout mucha mala,
I tossed a grenade at a Moorish Brigade.
And blew all those fascists to Allah,
Yippee ai attee ai ay.


O the Lincoln Battalion by cracky.
. A bunch of brave bozos though wacky,
They held down the line for months at a time.
'Gainst Franco, II Duce's lackey,
Yippee ai attee ai ay.

'Twas there on the plains of Brunete,
Midst a hail of steel and confetti,
With our planes and our bombs
We would smash Franco's ranks.
Got sick on Italian spaghetti,
Yippee ai attee ai ay.
.

O the Lincoln boys fought at Jarama,
They made the fascisti cry mama,
They were holding the line for months at a time,
And for sport they. would play wilh a bomba,
Yippee ai attee ai ay.


A codger from old Albacete,
Took on 16 goats for a betta,
When asked how he felt, he just hitched up his belt,
And said, I can't tell just as yetta,"
Yippee ai attee ai ay.

This seems to answer some of my puzzles-but I still think "tanks" is a more likely rhyme for "ranks" than "bombs" in verse three.

Thanks for all your help.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 16 Aug 15 - 08:30 PM

WHEN THE CALL COMES
I have just found a Youtube video of a song about the Spanish Civil War called "When The Call Comes" performed by George Archibald and Ian McCalman which is recorded on the Greentrax CD "Scots In The Spanish Civil War".
More on this CD Here
You can hear it with this link:

When The Call Comes by George Archibald & Ian McCalman
If anyone knows more information about the origins of this song or can give the complete lyrics then please post below

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 21 Sep 15 - 08:11 PM


THE INTERNATIONALE

I have, so far, resisted the urge to post this song because it is not, strictly-speaking, about the Spanish Civil War. However, it was certainly a song much sung in that war and therefore in the interest of making this thread comprehensive I am now adding it. I shall preface its inclusion by retelling two stories which I noticed when re-reading Frank Ryan's account of the British, American. Canadian and Irish volunteers in Spain 1936-1938, "The Book of The XV Brigade".* In a section about Jarama called " The Great Rally" he describes how he used the singing of the song to boost morale amongst the dispirited Brigaders.


"Whatever popular writers may say, neither your Briton nor your Irishman is an exuberant type. Demonstrativeness is not his dominating trait. The crowd behind us was marching silently. The thoughts in their minds could not be inspiring ones. I remembered a trick of the old days when we were holding banned demonstrations. I jerked my head back: "Sing up, ye sons o' guns!"

        Quaveringly at first, then more lustily, then in one resounding chant the song rose from the ranks. Bent backs straightened; tired legs thumped sturdily; what had been a routed rabble marched to battle again as proudly as they had done three days before. And the valley resounded to their singing:

                                "Then comrades, come rally,
                                And the last fight let us face;
                                The Internationale
                                Unites the human race."

        On we marched, back up the road, nearer and nearer to the front. Stragglers still in retreat down the slopes stopped in amazement, changed direction and ran to join us; men lying exhausted on the roadside jumped up, cheered and joined the ranks. I looked back. Beneath the forest of upraised fists, what a strange band! Unshaven, unkempt; bloodstained, grimy. But, full of fight again, and marching on the road back.

        Beside the road stood our Brigade Commander, General Gall. We had quitted; he had stood his ground. Was it that, or fear of his reprimands, that made us give three cheers for him? Briefly, tersely, he spoke to us. We had one and a half hours of daylight in which to re-capture our lost positions. "That gap on our right?" A Spanish Battalion was coming up with us to occupy it.

        Again the "International" arose. It was being sung in French too. Our column had swelled in size during the halt; a group of Franco-Belge had joined us. We passed the Spanish Battalion. They caught the infection; they were singing too as they deployed to the right."( P 60)

This story is also told in 'THE BALLAD OF FRANK RYAN' by ANDY IRVINE for which there is a posting 4 places below this, with a link to Andy Irvin's performance of the song.

       Frank Ryan's other story is also from the battle of Jarama and it gives an interesting indication that the Internationale must have been a song that was very frequently sung by the volunteers in the International Brigades

        "At the time of my leaving B.H.Q., there were no signs of any disturbance at the outpost. It was not until after I had started out that I heard the strains of the "International" coming from the direction of the outpost trench. As I got nearer, I was surprised to see numbers of Fascists coming over the land between us and them, singing the "International", and holding up their fists in the anti-Fascist salute. Our boys were holding up their fists in welcome to the men who were coming over. I had not the least doubt but that here was a mass desertion from the Fascist lines. "Yank" Levy seemed to be the first to realise the trick that had been played, but by this time, there were swarms of Fascists in the trench.( P 54)

* Both stories are from The Book of the XV Brigade: Records of British, American, Canadian and Irish volunteers in the XV International Brigade in Spain 1936-1938
Originally published by the Commissariat of War, XV Brigade, Madrid, 1938
1975 facsimile edition published by Frank Graham, Newcastle upon Tyne

Frank Ryan's extracts were taken from the 2003 edition (eds Alan Warren & Nigel Pell, Warren & Pell Publishing, Abersychan), chapter entitled 'With the British Battalion: From narratives of members of the Battalion Staff' (p47).        




THE INTERNATIONALE

Words by Eugene Pottier (Paris 1871)
Music by Pierre Degeyter (1888)


Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.

So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.

No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.

No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty
And give to all a happier lot.
Each at the forge must do their duty
And we'll strike while the iron is hot.

The Internationale has various forms and a long history which can be seen on Wikipedia using this link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internationale

It has also featured in a previousMudcat thread


thread.cfm?threadid=31940%23top

Below are some links to different versions performed on YouTube
Alister Hulett Singing The Internationale Here
Internationale - American (cleaned version from 1933!)
Billy Bragg - Internationale
Internationale (Original English Version)

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 18 Nov 15 - 10:33 AM

I posted a link on another Mudcat thread telling people interested in SCW songs, about a page of listings on Abe Books UK for a facsimile edition of Canciones de las Brigadas Internacionales. It now occurs to me that there might be many readers of this thread who would be interested and so here is the link
< a href="http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9788484723431&sts=t&tn=Canciones+de+las+Brigadas+Internacionales%2C%22">Book on Abe Books
It is the book compiled by Ernst Busch during the war for the benefit of the International Brigades volunteers. It has songs in a number of languages. Better link to Abe Books listing http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=9788484723431&sts=t&tn=Canciones+de+las+Brigadas+Internacionales%2C%22%22%3

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 03 Jan 16 - 05:45 AM

E bay have sent me another link to the sale of an interesting book of songs collected in the SCW. I post it here in case anyone would like to buy it.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coleccion-de-canciones-de-Lucha-Spanish-Edition-/251570580607?

From the given ISBN, I can see that it is a book which I already have = a 1980 facsimile edition of Canciones De Lucha a collection of songs made by the composer Carlos Palacio for the Republican Government. Its publication in 1939, was overtaken by the fascist victory and it is therefore rare . This facsimile edition is cheap at US $5.79 with shipping at $6.99 . I paid 45 Euros for my copy from Abe Books.
It consists of about 70 songs ,in Spanish, from various Republican groups and has black and white drawings on most pages.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 11 Feb 16 - 10:27 AM

NO PASARAN
By The Minority
Thanks to Gary Hammond for forwarding this link to a song called No Pasaran performed on Youtube by the Minority.


No Pasaran. The Minority

I do not know any more of the song details but I shall try to find out.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 21 Feb 16 - 03:06 PM

THE BALLAD OF FRANK RYAN
by ANDY IRVINE
Thanks to Marshall Mateer for telling me about this song and for sending me the link to get it on Youtube. Click HERE

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:49 PM

In Our Hearts Were Songs of Hope


I recently rediscovered a great radio programme called "In Our Hearts Were Songs of Hope." It was written by the late Roy Palmer and broadcast on Radio 4 on 13/07/1988 The programme was presented by Jim Lloyd and consists of taped interviews in which Roy Palmer asked old International Brigade volunteers about the songs they sang in Spain. Most of the songs are then performed by the brigaders or others.
I then discovered HERE , that a copy of the programme is held in the Imperial War museum. I enquired from the IWM about how to buy a copy, since it cannot be accessed on line, but they told me that they did not have the right to sell recordings of the programme and I would need to ask at the BBC. I enquired at the BBC Shop
http://www.bbcshop.com/audio/icat/audio   ( scroll to bottom of page for "CONTACT US")but they replied saying
" Unfortunately this product is not currently available through BBC Shop and we are not aware of any plans to release this title in the near future. As we are the retail outlet only, we do not have any input into the decision making process for new BBC titles or licensed products. "

Perhaps if enough customers enquired about availabilty then the BBC might reissue this interesting programme? The programme is informative and worth hearing.Most of the men interviewed by Roy Palmer are now dead so we won't get as close to this subject again.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 15 Mar 16 - 06:39 AM





Holding Out Against The Night
by EWAN McLENNAN



Last night I went to see Ewan Mclennan perform at Beverley and he sang a new song of his own about the SCW called "Holding Out Against The Night " . It is a good song but he has not recorded it yet. Ewan said he will video it and will put it up on You Tube in July but will send me the words to post here before that. Until then you'll just have to get along to one of his gigs to actually hear the song
http://www.ewanmclennan.co.uk/gigs

---

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes -
Date: 21Mar 16 -
Ewan has sent me the words for "Holding Out Against The Night " but asked me not to post them here until he has recorded the song which will be on 17th July, later this year.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 18 Jul 16 - 04:35 AM

You can now listen to it Holding Out Against The Light
by Ewan McLennan
on the Folk Radio site:
http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2016/07/ewan-mclennan-session-holding-night/

The train rolled out in the morning
Hard jagged peaks pressed the sky
And my thoughts flickered back to you, love
Far from the land passing by

Remember the flowers on the hill, love
Blues and yellows lit the scene
I picked one and pressed it in my pocket
Until I'm home I'll keep it close to me

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

We were stationed first in Barcelona
Before we departed for the front
Through the streets the senioritas wandered
And songs of freedom rang out with the guns

There were voices there from all over
Marseilles, Dublin and Cologne
Down in the drill-yards and the cafes
There was talk of a new world being born

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

The call came to leave one Sunday morning
We laced our leather boots for Aragon
John O' Flynn from county Tipperary
Sang us all an Irish marching song

We sang to the hope of the morning
We sang to the trembling skies at night
There, we called each other comrade
And 'no pasaran' was the cry

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

Some things are just too harsh to speak of
The stones lay withered in the flames
The cold-ash colour of the tunics
Marked where the red clay bared the names

How the sun beat down without mercy
How the wind-scattered sands stung the eyes
Quiet fell at night upon the foothills
As life left the embers of the fires

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

We all rose for La Passionara
As she addressed us from the quay
She said, 'is it not better to die fighting'
'Than live forever on our knees?'

We sang to the hope of the morning
We sang to trembling skies at night
There, we called each other comrade
And 'no pasaran' was the cry

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

A match is struck, a lamp throws its light
Holding out against the night

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 03 Oct 16 - 03:51 AM

Holding Out Against The Night YOUTUBE

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 16 Nov 16 - 07:21 PM

THE LANCASHIRE LADS

By JOHN KIRKPATRICK

Here is a link to a performance of the song on YouTube

YOUTUBE "Lancashire Lads - Song of the Spanish Civil War"

The video tells us that it was

"Sung at the re-unveiling of a plaque in the John Harvard Library to honour Southwark residents who joined the International Brigades to defend freedom. They are singing this in the play "Dare Devil Rides to Jarama " at the Bussie Building, Peckham ".

Does anyone know anything more about this song such as who it is performing and who wrote it and when? "Dare Devil Rides to Jarama " is a play about International Brigade volunteer and speedway rider Clem Beckett which is currently on tour in England . https://www.list.co.uk/event/644344-dare-devil-rides-to-jarama/ The Lancashire Lads, with non Spanish Civil War lyrics, is an older song with numerous threads devoted to it here on Mudcat. I guess that someone has put a new set of words to the older tune for the play?

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 26 Nov 16 - 06:06 PM

I have just returned from an excellent night watching "Daredevil Rides to Jarama" and the performance program tells us that the new words to "The Lancashire Lads" were written by John Kirkpatrick, who is also the musical director of this production. I shall try to take down all the words of the song from the YouTube video and I shall post them in this thread when I find the time and when it is not so late.

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 27 Nov 16 - 05:59 PM

Here is what I can get from the YouTube video but I think some of the words may not be quite right and I would appreciate any corrections that you can offer. In verse two I am not sure it is "Bert Blasket" and I am not sure of the meaning of the second line in verse two , so something may be wrong there. I would appreciate confirmation or correction of the names in verse three because "Maurice Levine" is the only name I recognise.

The Lancashire lads
By John Kirkpatrick

CHORUSThe Lancashire lads are going abroad, a victory for to gain
To hoist the flag of freedom high,across the coast of Spain.


Sam Wild was there, amongst them all, Bert Blasket signed up too,
And the blues and browns of Bensons came, To join that swelling crew.
CHORUS

Arnold Jeans and Maurice Levine, Ralph Hunter and Rob Ward
And lads from Oldham, Suffolk too, all joined to come on board.
CHORUS

Nurses, doctors, they came too, to help to ease the pain,
To tend the wounds of those who fell, so they could fight again.
CHORUS

So southwards down to Dover and across to France they sailed,
From Paris down to the Pyrenees, they knew they could not fail.
CHORUS

On to Barcelona, Albacete was their goal.
To join the British Battalion and fight with heart and soul.
CHORUS

Subject: RE: Songs in English about the Spanish Civil War
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 30 Nov 16 - 06:52 AM

I managed to get into contact with Neil Gore who wrote the play "Dare Devil Rides to Jarama" which features the John Kirkpatrick version of The Lancashire Lads, and he has very kindly sent me the correct lyrics for the song. I reproduce the full song lyrics below , which include verses not included in the YouTube video.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Geoff,
Here's the lyrics in full for Lancashire Lads:


THE LANCASHIRE LADS
Traditional Song – new words written for Dare Devil by John Kirkpatrick

1. It was September '36
The Party men did say
There's a call for volunteers for Spain
We're bound to march away

CHORUS: For the Lancashire Lads are going abroad
                                  A victory for to gain
                                  To hoist the flag of freedom high
                           Across the coast of Spain

2. 'Twas on a Monday morning
The orders they came round
For gallant lads of Lancashire
To fight on Spanish ground

       3. To the Free Trade Hall in Manchester
             More came there every day
             They came because their open eyes
             Could see no other way

4. Sam Wild was there amongst them all
    Bert Maskey signed up too
    And Booths and Browns and Bensons came
    To join that swelling crew

5. There was Arnold Jeans and Maurice Levine
    Ralph Cantor and Rob Ward
    And lads from Oldham, Salford too
    All chose to come on board

[6. Walter Greenhalgh he was there
    All ready to take his turn
    And Smiths, Swindells, and Sprostons
    Who were never to return]
(This verse didn't make the final cut)

7. Nurses, doctors, they came too
    To help to ease the pain
    And tend the wounds of those who fell
    So they could fight again

8. So Southward down to Dover
    And across to France they'd sail
    To Paris and on to the Pyrenees
    They knew they could not fail

9. And on through Barcelona
    Albacete was their goal
    To join the British Battalion there
      And fight with heart and soul
----------------------------------------------------------------
Many thanks to Neil for this. His play "Dare Devil Rides to Jarama" has continuing performances in December and in the Spring of 2017 and is well worth a visit.LINk to Interview with Neil Gore about the play