Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte

Subject: Lyr Add: DONE WITH BONAPARTE (Mark Knopfler)
From: michaelr
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 04:33 PM

Another gem from the pen of the great Mark Knopfler, this song was recorded by Niamh Parsons on her latest CD, "Heart's Desire". It's quite timely as young men are again following "our little corporal" into battle, blinded by dreams of empire.

Done with Bonaparte   (Lyrics Mark Knopfler; air trad. I)

We've paid in hell since Moscow burned
As Cossacks tear us piece by piece
Our dead are strewn a hundred leagues
Though death would be a sweet release
    And our Grande Armee is dressed in rags
    A frozen, starving beggar band
    Like rats we steal each other's scraps
    And fall to fighting hand to hand

CH:   Save my soul from evil, Lord
      And heal this soldier's heart
      I'll trust in thee to keep me, Lord
      I'm done with Bonaparte   

What dreams he made for us to dream
The Spanish skies, Egyptian sands
The world was ours, we marched upon
Our little corporal's command
    And I lost an eye at Austerlitz
    The sabre slash yet gives me pain
    My one true love awaits me still
    The flower of the Aquitaine    (CH)

I pray for her who prays for me
A safe return to ma belle France
We prayed this war would end all wars
In war we know there's no romance
    And I pray our child will never see
    A little corporal again
    Point towards a foreign shore
    And captivate the hearts of men    (CH)


Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Apr 03 - 07:50 PM

Thanks for posting this.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 04:25 AM

Even at this early stsage, this version looks like passing into the tradition. The air (Amhrán na Leabhair) was suggested by either Terry Moylan or Gerry O'Reilly of the Góilín Singers Club and suits the war-weary tone very well.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 09:31 AM

An excellent contribution.

Recently I read a book about Champollion (sp), the man who translated Egyptian hieroglyphics. The author mentioned that Champollion's brother, a publisher of a small newspaper, got in trouble with the government for publishing data about the number of French soldiers who were being killed in Bonaparte's campaigns.

It is thought-provoking to realize that the people of France, many of them isolated in villages and small cities, could not get together and determine how many men they had lost. It takes the media to do something like that. And here I was going to get a bumpersticker that said "Smoke free, drug free, media free."

The book also details the horrors of the Egyptian campaign. (The French leadership landed the soldiers in the desert and failed to provide any food or water.) When some Mudcatters start rattling on about Theobald Wolfe Tone and his foray into Ireland with the French, I wonder how many horrors occurred there that we don't get told about.

Peace.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: GUEST, GEST
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 11:30 AM

Mark Knopfler has cancelled his European and U.S. tours following a motorbike accident that left the former Dire Straits frontman with six broken ribs and a broken collarbone. Knopfler was injured on March 17th in central London when his vehicle collided with a car. He is expected to make a full recovery.

"Mark is obviously bitterly disappointed and would like to thank the fans who have sent him get well messages," a statement on his Web Site reads. The thirty-date U.S. run was to begin June 26th in Portsmouth, Virginia, and run through the end of July. The tour was to support Knopfler's latest solo album, The Ragpicker's Dream, which was released last fall.

Ticket holders were advised to return their tickets to the original point of purchase.

ANDREW DANSBY, RollingStone.com (April 1, 2003)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Anglo
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 01:55 AM

Pardon my simplistic ignorance, but is this a song Knopfler sings to his own tune, or rather his poem which others converted to a song? Was the suggestion of using this tune made to him, or to Niamh, or someone else who gave it to Niamh? (Just trying to get a better idea of the provenance; the song is quite lovely).

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 03:49 AM

Anglo
Sorry! The confusion is my fault. Mark Knopfler wrote the song and had a tune, of which I know nothing. Dublin singer Gerry O'Reilly, at the suggestion of Terry Moylan (author of The Age of revolution in the Irish Song Tradition ), fitted it to an old Irish air usually known as Amhrán na Leabhair (song of the books - another story). Niamh Parsons heard Gerry singing it and recorded that version. Several other traditional singers now use that version

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Anglo
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 10:42 AM

Many thanks, Martin. I appreciate the extra information. We'd hoped to get Niamh at our folk festival here this coming summer (in upstate New York), but alas it didn't work out.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: MartinRyan
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 02:47 PM

Anglo

Keep trying - she's worth it!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 04 Apr 03 - 09:04 AM

Michael - thanks for posting this wonderful song. At first I thought it an original song of 1812/13; the simple and unbraided lyrics are just fitting the European folk tradition.
There is an old German song of these times of which Knopfler's lyrics reminded me: "Mit Mann und Ross und Wagen hat sie der Herr geschlagen ..." (With man and horse and wagon the Lord has hit them hard ..."
Poor boys, and now a similar adventure is going on between the Rivers.

Wilfried

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: HuwG
Date: 04 Apr 03 - 11:10 AM

If you forgive me for introducing an irreverent aside into this thread, click here for Mike Harding's take on the legend of Napoleon.

And, please get well soon, Mark.

Subject: Chords Add: DONE WITH BONAPARTE
From: HuwG
Date: 10 Apr 05 - 08:40 PM

Here are the guitar chords, as near as I can make them out.

[Bb] We've [Gm] paid in hell since Moscow burned
As [Bb] Cossacks tear us piece by piece
Our [F] dead are strewn a hundred leagues
Though [Eb]death would be a sweet release
And our [Gm] Grande Armee is dressed in rags
A [Bb] frozen, starving beggar band
Like [F] rats we steal each other's scraps
And [Eb] fall to fighting hand to hand

CH:
[Eb]Save my soul from evil, Lord
And [Bb] heal this soldier's [Gm] heart
I'll [Bb] trust in thee to [Cm] keep me, Lord
[Eb] I'm done with Bonaparte [Bb]
   

Further chords and tabs for the intro and bridge are at The On-line Guitar Archive.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: GUEST,Scaramouche
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 04:24 AM

Paul Brady plays the whistle on this.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Grab
Date: 11 Apr 05 - 08:10 AM

I play this the Knopfler way. I'll try and remember the chords if I can.

FWIW I can't stand the dirge that someone (was it Gerry O'Reilly?) put to the words. To my mind the major-key Knopfler version works better, for the same reason that Dylan's "Don't think twice, it's alright" wouldn't have the same power as a slow minor tune. The Knopfler version has that air of a marching song about it, and the contrast between the downbeat words and the upbeat tune is what makes the song. It gives the feel of the singer thinking he might just make it home again in spite of everything, instead of just "I'll sit here, whine about what's happened and die".

Graham.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: michaelr
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 03:30 PM

MK's tune can be heard on the newly released concert CD/DVD "Real Live Roadrunning" with Emmylou Harris.

For anyone who saw the tour (and anyone who didn't, as well) I highly recommend this record. Great band, cracking performances, brilliant show.

Cheers,
Michael

BTW, Niamh Parsons' notes on the song state "Jerry O'Reilly...was given this song by Terry Moylan and thought it might suit that wonderful traditional air played by Seamus Ennis, 'Valentia Island'."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 12:22 PM

Here's Mark Knopfler singing it from 1996 - poor sound and vision quality, but the song comes across.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 08:11 PM

So -- ist the air called "Amhrán na Leabhair" or "Valentia Island"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Declan
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 03:01 PM

Michelr,

I suspect the tune is called Valentia Island and that "Amhrán na Leabhair" is another song sung to the same air.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 22 Nov 06 - 06:52 PM

For a good song with a similar theme, check out Bob Coltman's "Valley Forge" in Digitrad

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: MartinRyan
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 03:02 AM

Declan

I seem to remember that Terry suggested the tune to Gerry on the basis of the "Amhrán na Leabhair" connection. Aa to which came first, the sung chicken or the instrumental air - I dunno! I'll check next time I'm in the splendid new Irish Traditional Music Archive.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 07:08 AM

A superb piece of songwriting. I haven't heard the Irish air, but the tune Knopfler uses sounds like an adapted Scottish pipe march; appropriate as the singer is marching home from the wars and expressing his disgust with them.

Valmai Goodyear
Lewes Arms Folk Club

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: GUEST,Gordon T
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 09:11 AM

Excellent lyrics - never heard of this song before - but having watched the video (thanks for that) I'm possibly alone in thinking the tune doesnt measure up.Unsingable as an unaccompanied song,for a start - no wonder Niamh Parsons chose a different air,although I dont know her version.
Just my opinion anyway!

   Gordon

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Done with Bonaparte
From: MartinRyan
Date: 23 Nov 06 - 10:01 AM

For me, there are still a few rough edges when using the Irish tune. If it's taken up by enough traditional singers, they'll soon get rubbed off!

Regards