Origins: Patriot Game

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 09:21 PM

SEAN SOUTH is in the DT.

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BATTLEFIELDS OF SPAIN
From: Suffet
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 09:07 PM

To the same tune of "Roddy McCorley" and "Sean South" is this song from the Spanish Civil War.

THE BATTLEFIELDS OF SPAIN

For the James Connolly Column of the International Brigade Tune: "Roddy McCorley" (or "Sean South")

Oh, workers dear, did you hear our comrades' call to arms?
It echoed in the cities and it echoed on the farms,
In shipyard and in factory, and upon the fields of grain,
To defend our fellow workers on the battlefields of Spain.

John Riley was a trade union man, our shop floor he did lead,
He fought against the fascist thugs, he fought the bosses' greed,
And now he leads the Connolly Column of the bold Fifteenth Brigade,
And he's gone to fight the fascists on the battlefields of Spain.

Who will call the meeting now and who will take the chair?
And who will lead us out on strike when we demand our share?
For Johnny, brave young Johnny, at home shall not remain,
For he's gone to fight the fascists on the battlefields of Spain.

If fascist bullets won't permit our Wild Geese to come home,
Their tragic loss to Ireland we'll never cease to mourn,
For they fought for the Connolly Column in the bold Fifteenth Brigade,
And they died for the Spanish working class on the battlefields of Spain.


Great song!

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 08:57 PM

Notes on the song 'Sean South' on Dominic Behan's album 'Easter Week and After'

[1965:] Sean South was killed in action while attacking Brookeborough R.U.C. Barracks on New Year's Night [1 Jan] 1957. He was a Limerick man and his death seemed to stir the people's imagination deeply. There are at least two other songs written in his memory. The tune of this one is 'The Banks of Yarrow'. (Paddy Tunney, notes Dominic Behan, 'Easter Week and After')

And Big Tim informed Mudcatters on 12 April last year: "Sean South was born on 8th February 1928 in Henry Street in the City centre area of Limerick, not actually the Garryowen area, so a smidgeon of poetic licence there."

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: The Pooka
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 05:15 PM

Guest greg stephens, thanks for that good info. You were certainly not rambling excessively, that's my job; you were rambling just right. D'ye do the Rambles of Spring? Ramblin' Gamblin' Wille? (Ramblin' Rose? nevermind)

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 07:29 AM

THE NIGHTINGALE in the DT, with MIDI.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 06:52 AM

sorry, that should have been a "young couple" not a "long couple". my typing is not up to much, as the schoolteachers among you never tire of pointing out.

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST,greg stephens
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 06:49 AM

and the patriot game unleashed a mighty fight between dominic behan and bob dylan, who pinchedthe tune( and a lot of the sentiments or so said dominic b) for 'With God on our side". not that dominic behan actually wrote the tune, it is an old tune for the Nightingale (as i was a walking one morning in may,i spied a long couple so fondly did stray); now normally sung to the very famous tune collected from aubrey cantwell in standlake,oxfordshire.....sorry, i think i am rambling excessively goodbye

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST,troy brown
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 03:59 AM

No Patriot games until next season, folks, but it sure was a hell of a ride! Feels so good to be a World Champion! WE SHOCKED THE WORLD!! NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS BABY!!! WOO HOO!

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST,joanie baez
Date: 20 Feb 02 - 02:17 AM

The Patriots are Super Bowl champions baby!

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: The Pooka
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 11:53 PM

Woops! ThreadDrift Alert!

Re Sean South, killed alongside Feargal O'Hanlon ("The Patriot Game") in the raid of '57: there's a song "Sean South of Garryowen". Same melody as "Roddy McCorley" of earlier times. Nowhere near the quality or nuance of "The Patriot Game" of course; but hey.

A lyric that always sounded a wee bit dubious to me:


But the sergeant foiled their daring plan, as he spied them through the door


It was an IRA raid on an RUC barracks I believe. Geez, hadn't they like *thought* of the sergeant maybe noticing? Ah weel / I dunno the actual history..

Last verse though, which I always felt has beauty:


No more he'll hear the seagull's cry o'er the murmuring Shannon tide,
For he fell beneath that Northern sky, brave Hanlon by his side;
He has gone to join that noble band of Plunkett, Pearse and Tone,
Another martyr for old Ireland: Sean South of Garryowen.


South, I gather, like O'Hanlon was young though not *as* young; and was a scholar. Masato or someone, tell us more?? (McGrath of H.! Where are yez? Get offen th' Bloody Sunday & come over here & eddycate us!)


Aaah the power of patriot myth. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. God help us.

-- The Threadcreep

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 11:37 PM

I have an LP, 'Easter Week and After', Topic 12T44, where all the songs are sung by Dominic Behan. The last cut on side 2 is his own, "The Patriot Game". The anonymous note on the jacket reads:

Feargal O'Hanlon, aged 17 from Ballybay Co. Monaghan, a draughtsman with Monaghan Co. Council, was killed in action during the Brookeborough Barracks attack also. The song is one of the best and certainly the hardest hitting to come out of Ireland since the Civil War. Words and music are by Dominic Behan.

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:34 PM

Note to this song (copyright 1962) in Dominic Behan's Ireland Sings: An Anthology of Irish Songs and Ballads (p. 152) says: "About the death of Feargal O'Hanlon, killed alongside Sean South, on a raid over the Irish border, January 1st, 1957."

~Masato

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:08 PM

It's a damn good piece of film too...

;-)

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 10:05 PM

That's super, Masato. I bookmarked that one; I want to read more later. Thanks!

Thanks for the volume number, wdyat24. That will narrow the search down some!

Boy, this is the place to come when you want to learn something about music!

Annie

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:22 PM

For concise backgound info on the song, CLICK HERE (BBC: History - Wars and Conflict), with sound clip by Dominic Behan(?).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 09:03 PM

Annie,

Sorry for not giving you the complete specs, Vol 44 #4 Page 44.

wdyat24

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:58 PM

Thank you all! That was very quick! I will try all of the above.

Annie

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: GUEST,wdyat24
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:52 PM

Annie,

If you pick up a copy of Sing Out! Special 50th Anniversary Issue you will find the music and lyrics to The Patriot Game on page 44.

wdyat24

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: masato sakurai
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:51 PM

Try "Digitrad and Forum Search." CDs are HERE
~Masato

Subject: RE: Patriot Game
From: SeanM
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:42 PM

I can't speak for history, but there are several Clancy Brothers recordings available of "Patriot Game". I believe it's on their 'Songs of Rebellion' CD.

M

Subject: Patriot Game
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 08:34 PM

Awhile back there was a very informative thread on the song Raglan Road with lots of great information re the composer, meaning of the song, etc. I wonder if any of you would have information re Patriot Game, and/or know the name of a currently available recording that contains the song.

Thanks.

Annie