Clancy Brothers - Isn't It Grand Boys

Subject: Clancy Brothers - Isn't It Grand Boys
From: GUEST,Greenie
Date: 11 Apr 23 - 04:00 AM

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I can't find it in the archive.

I've been entranced by this since hearing it sung by an old soldier in the Naafi at Aldershot in the 1970s.

I have no problem with most of the lyrics but I'd be interested to hear 'catters views of the line: "Look at the widow, bloody great female". Am I missing something here or was the lyricist just being lazy?


Look at the coffin with golden handles
Isn't it grand boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.

Look at the mourners, bloody great hypocrites.
Isn't it grand boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.

Look at the flowers, all bloody withered.
Isn't it grand boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.

Look at the preacher, bloody nice fella.
Isn't it grand boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.

Look at the widow, bloody great female.
Isn't it grand boys, to be bloody well dead?
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry.
And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you bloody well die.


I know there are other versions (for instance, Joan Baez invites us to look at the choir) but it's the "bloody great female" I find baffling.


Greenie

Subject: RE: Clancy Brothers - Isn't It Grand Boys
From: GUEST,Modette
Date: 11 Apr 23 - 06:26 AM

This is the thread.

Isn't It Grand, Boys

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Link fixed, and several incorrect corrections deleted. There is no "www" in the Mudcat URL, and you need the entire http bit or that extra Mudcat/mudcat creeps into the Blickifier. Hand coding is usually easier. ---mudelf