Origins: Kevin Barry

Subject: Lyr Add: KEVIN BARRY
From: Shimbo Darktree
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 08:28 AM

Amaranth, may I compliment you on your taste in songs!

KEVIN BARRY   Early on a Sunday Morning, high upon a gallows tree, Kevin Barry gave his young life for the cause of liberty, Only a lad of eighteen summers, yet there's no-one can deny, That he went to death that morning, proudly held his head up high. Shoot me like an Irish soldier, do not hang me at the dawn, For I fought for Ireland's freedom on that dark September morn, All around that little bakery where we fought them hand-to-hand, Shoot me like an Irish soldier, for I fought to free Ireland. Standing proudly to attention as he bade his last farewell, To his broken-hearted mother, whose grief no-one could tell, For the cause he proudly cherished this sad parting had to be, So to death walked Barry smiling, that old Ireland might be free. Just before he faced the hangman, in his lonely prison cell, British soldiers tortured Barry, just because he would not tell, All the names of his companions, other things they wished to know, "Turn informer and we'll free you." Proudly Barry answered, "No." Another martyr for old Ireland, another murder for the Crown, Whose brutal laws may kill the Irish, but can't keep their spirits down. Lads like Barry are no cowards, from the foe they will not fly. Lads like Barry will free Ireland, for her sake they'll live or die.

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Messages below are from a new thread.

Subject: Lyr Add: KEVIN BARRY
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 07:36 AM

Further to my rather stumbling attempt to remember the version of Kevin Barry that I thought I knew, I've had a rethink, and see now that I've put some of the words for the third verse into the fourth verse, hence the gap.

Anyway, despite the synapse situation, the way I've thought about it is like so -

In Mountjoy Gaol one Monday morning
High upon the gallows tree,
Kevin Barry gave his young life
For the cause of liberty.
But a lad of eighteen summers,
Yet no-one can deny,
As he walked to death that morning
He proudly held his head on high.

Just before he faced the hangman,
In his lonely prison cell
British soldiers tortured Barry
Because he wouldn't tel
The names of his companions,
And other things they wished to know.
' Turn informer, or we'll kill you.'
Kevin Barry answered 'No'

'Why not shoot me like a soldier?
Do not hang me like a dog,
For I fought to free old Ireland
On that bright September(?) morn.(?)
All around that little bakery
Where we fought them hand to hand.
Why not shoot me like a soldier,
For I fought to free Ireland.

Another martyr for old Ireland,
Another murder for the crown,
Whose cruel laws may kill the Irish,
But they can't keep our spirit down.
Lads like Barry are no cowards.
From the foe they will not fly.
Lads like Barry will free Ireland
For her sake, they'll fight and die.

This is a piece of dubious propaganda, of course. The counter-propaganda is that after the gunbattle round Boland's Bakery, Kevin Barry was found hiding under a car with a gun that hadn't been fired.

However, his execution made sure of his promotion to icon, whatever the truth of the matter.

Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Kevin Barry
From: Amaranth
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 12:25 AM

Thanks...I know what you mean about the synapses... seems the same is happening to mine

Subject: Lyr Add: KEVIN BARRY
From: Bobby Bob, Ellan Vannin
Date: 25 Oct 99 - 06:39 PM

The version I almost know (the old synapses are breaking apart, I'm afraid) is different from the database version and the lines you quote here. Sorry about the gaps, but perhaps someone else can oblige with a completer version of this one.

In Mountjoy Gaol one Monday morning
High upon the gallows tree,
Kevin Barry gave his young life
For the cause of liberty.
But a lad of eighteen summers,
Yet no-one can deny,
As he walked to death that morning
He proudly held his head on high.

Just before he faced the hangman,
In his lonely prison cell
British soldiers tortured Barry
Because he wouldn't tell
The names of his companions,
And other things they wished to know.
"Turn informer, or we'll kill you."
Kevin Barry answered "No"

"Why not shoot me like a soldier?
Do not hang me like a dog,
For I fought to free old Ireland
...
...
...
Why not shoot me like a soldier,
For I fought to free Ireland."

All around that little bakery
On that bright December morn,
...
...
Lads like Barry are no cowards.
From the foe they will not fly.
Lads like Barry will free Ireland
For her sake, they'll fight and die.


Shoh slaynt,

Bobby Bob

Subject: ADD Version: Kevin Barry
From: Amaranth
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 10:51 PM

I am looking for about 3 lines I think. The version of Kevin Barry in the database is different from the one I remember. Can anyone help me? Question marks indicate where the lines I can't remember belong.

This has been irking me for years now.

Kevin Barry

Have you heard of Kevin Barry
Who the British had to hang
How lived to free his country
How he died for Ireland.

Back in 21 they caught him
And brought him to the south
Where they tied him and they beat him
And they tried to make him tell

cho.
Tell the names of your companions
And then we will set you free
Tell the names of your companions
And you'll have your liberty

Well they tortured Kevin Barry
In that dirty dungeon cell
Kevin Barry was no traitor
Kevin Barry did not tell
And how well do we remember
On that cold November day
How he faced the British hangman
And he heard the Hangman say

cho.

Well they hung poor Kevin Barry
??
??
??
And if ever you should need him
It doesn't matter where
If you're fighting for your freedom
Kevin Barry will be there.

Subject: RE: Kevin Barry
From: Lilimar
Date: 17 Mar 99 - 07:09 PM

Pete Seeger made an American recording of "Kevin Barry" about 1960 with that chorus..."Shoot me like an Irish soldier..." Met a cousin of Barry's aboard a ship once (I think MANY claim to be) who said she thought that was a later invention...she did not know the bit about the dog. Have lost the Seeger album that contained this song and searched for years for a replacement. Would appreciate if anyone knows the name of the album and where it might be found.

Subject: RE:
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 08 Feb 98 - 06:43 PM

Not usually sung in Irealnd as a chorus, but as part of a verse.

Also " like a dog in scorn" holds the rhyme. It can be made scan!

Regards

Subject: RE:
From: Jerry Friedman
Date: 06 Feb 98 - 05:20 PM

Oh, is THAT the song that I vaguely remember from childhood but couldn't find on the DT?

Subject: Kevin Barry - Lyric Mistake
From: David
Date: 06 Feb 98 - 12:57 PM

Came across the lyrics for "Kevin Barry" in the database, but I noticed that the chorus (or what I have come to know as the chorus) was absent from the lyrics. The chorus I know goes like this:

"Shoot me like an Irish soldier,
Do not hang me like a dog.
For I fought for Ireland's freedom
On that cold Novermber morn."

Am I somehow mistaken? And if not, perhaps the lyrics should be re-posted with the chorus included.

David

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Click for lyrics in the Digital Tradition

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Messages from multiple threads combined.
-Joe Offer-