Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)

Subject: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: GUEST,Laura Plummer
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 07:30 AM

Hello all!
I have been trying with no luck so far to track down the lyrics of a Ewan McColl song sung by Christy Moore - The Companeros.

Can anyone help?

regards

Laura

Subject: Lyr Add: COMPANEROS (Ewan MacColl)
From: belfast
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 07:56 AM

Companeros

The good ship Granma lies at anchor in the harbour
Waiting for the evening tide to bring high water
It's bound for Cuba we must go
Across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Ocean
She's carrying a human cargo, eighty-three good companeros
Each one burning with determination to be free
Against Batista, the Fidelistas
Courage was their only armour
As they fought at Fidel's side with Che Guevara

Ten days out from Mexico these companeros
Landed on the Cuban beach Los Colorados
And Fidel said, This year we'll see our country and its people free
Our else we will be martyrs.
We've only guns enough for twenty
The enemy has arms aplenty
Meet him and defeat him
He will keep us well supplied
Against Batista, the Fidelistas
Courage was their only armour
As they fought at Fidel's side with Che Guevara.

Five weeks later in the canyon Del Arroyos
The people's army numbered eighteen companeros
Hungry, weak yet unafraid, they're learning revolutions trade
In the high Sierra Maestro
And in the mountains winds are blowing
Bearing seeds of hope and sowing
Crops in Cuban earth that mark the birth of victory
Against Batista, the Fidelistas
Courage was their only armour
As they fought at Fidel's side with Che Guevara.

They fought their way across the peaks of El Torquino
Joined by peasant bands and men from Santiago
They faced Batista's tanks and planes
And drove them down into the plains
From the high Sierra Maestra
They drove the gangsters from Las Villa
Staright across the Cordilleros
Santa Clara fell to Che Guevara and was free.
Against Batista, the Fidelistas
Courage was their only armour
As they fought at Fidel's side with Che Guevara.


The fire lit on that Cuban beach by Fidel Castro
Shines all the way to Tierra Del Fuego
Its sparks are blown upon the breeze
And men rise up from off their knees when they see the night is burning
It blazes up in Venzuela , Bolivia and Guatemala
Lights the road that men must go in order to be free
On companeros, Americanos
For a people's free America
Fidel he has shown the was with Che Guevara.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: belfast
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 08:06 AM

I should note that the words above are those of MacColl as well as I can recall them. I wouldn't be too sure of some of the place-names. Christy made some changes to the original, not necessarily for the better. I would recommend Christy's book "One Voice". It contains the lyrics of most of his songs and has some great stories, reminiscences, thoughts and insights.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 08:21 AM

See this thread: Lyr Req: The Campanero.

~Masato

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 08:52 AM

Sorry, seems to be a different song.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 15 Mar 03 - 06:12 PM

belfast, I think your place names are more or less correct. I have canyon Del Arroyo, Sierra Maestra (v. 3), El Turquino and Las Villas (v. 4). Also, instead of 'Against Batista ...', I have a different line in v. 3 - sounds like 'On compañeros, to El Uvero'. Maybe someone with Spanish can help us clear this up.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: belfast
Date: 16 Mar 03 - 07:40 AM

Susanne, your corrections are correct. And yes, I now recall the "El Ulvero" line. But I never sing it.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Mar 03 - 09:01 PM

Well, I spent three days perusing a history of Cuba ... but there's no guarantee of correctness even for anything printed in a book nowadays, so I wasn't sure.

Subject: Tune Add: COMPANEROS (Ewan MacColl)
From: belfast
Date: 29 Mar 03 - 01:46 PM

Below is an ABC notation of this song. It is transposed, as accurately as I can, from number 2 in a series of 24- page songbooks called "New City Songster" produced by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. This particular one is dated Sept 1969 and cost 2/6 – half a crown - (12.5p). Although the song is in 4/4 time some bars are 6/4 and the chords given here are not quite what I would use. As I say I am only transposing here, not reinterpreting.


This tune is not quite the same as that which Christy sings. I gather that Christy has some difficulties getting the hang of the original and spent some time twisting it into a shape that suited him.

X:1
T:The Companeros
C:Ewan MacColl
M:4/4
Q:1/4=160
K:C
G|"C"cdcA|"G"BcBG"F"A>c|"C"AG3|z4|
cde>c|"G"dcB>G"F"Ac|"C"AG3|z3G|
"Dm"D>EFE|"F"GE"G"DD|"Dm"DEFE|"F"GE"G"DG/G/|
G>FFE|ED3|z3d|dddd|
fdec|"F"dBA>G|"G7"FA"C" FEDC|FEGE|"G"D4|z4|
"G7"zGcB|"C"AGz2|"F"zE"G7"F>E|"C"DCz2|
cdec|de"G"dBcd|"F"cBGE|
"G7"FAG>F|"C"EC2|z3

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: Abby Sale
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 12:10 PM

I taped (just a hand-held) MacColl & Seeger singing this in 1968. They called it "The Cuban Revolutionaries" then. It's still in my head and I use it for Cuba Revolution Day in the "Happy!" file but I've never seen the actual words for it before.   Thank you.

The ABC is a pretty good rendering of the way they sing it, the which they do very well.

There's also MacColl's own loving song, "Che Guevara" which they sing on At the Present Moment.

Subject: RE: lyrics for Ewan McColl's The companeros
From: belfast
Date: 30 Mar 03 - 12:38 PM

According to my sources "Che Guevara" was written by Peggy Seeger. One of these days I'll put it into ABC. There's a really nice harmony line to it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 30 Mar 12 - 09:00 PM

Lord Invader had a song called "Fidel Castro."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 31 Mar 12 - 11:23 AM

""Che Guevara" was written by Peggy Seeger"
Yes - it was - the air was based on 'Banks of the Sweet Primroses').
All the Cuban songs were inspired by a visit to Cuba by Ewan and Peg and some of the Critics Group, where they all performed (1968 - I think)
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 07:09 PM

For some reason, I've been listening to this song since reading this thread. And it's great! Especially since I'm writing a science-fiction novel about "What if the 26th of July Movement failed."

Does anyone here actually sing this song? I'm thinking of learning it myself. Catchy lyrics, historical lyrics (well, historical NOW) and besides the Cuban Revolution is one of my favourite periods of history.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 23 Aug 12 - 07:19 PM

Interestingly Batista was a good leader his first time around. But the second time- what happened?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 15 - 11:39 AM

Would anyone have a link to the tabs/chords?

Tks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 21 May 15 - 03:14 AM

The words and music were published in "The New City Songster" which from memory was the last edition of 1969.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 May 15 - 03:18 AM

It is also in The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 21 May 15 - 05:11 AM

Morwen wrote: Interestingly Batista was a good leader his first time around. But the second time- what happened? Have you never heard the phrase "Power corrupts"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Companeros (Ewan MacColl)
From: GUEST,Don Day
Date: 24 May 15 - 05:48 PM

"On Companeros- to el uvero" is correct.
I have been to Cuba severaal times and have visited the camp in the Sierra Maestra
AND I sing this fabulous song. One of Ewans best.

Don

Fulgencio Batista was a Twat. A Yanqui Twat!