Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY

Subject: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Toenails John
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:20 AM

I'm looking for a parody on Willie McBride. I was given this, about a year ago in a pub, then lost the words before i learnt it. I have searched the DT & forum archives, but the version I'm seeking is not there.

The version i seek, basically tells of the pub musician, having to put up with all kinds of idiots attempting to sing the song, from memory, it starts something like this...

Now you all know the song about Willie McBride
I've heard it so much, I've damn nearly cried
For it's sung every night, by the big and the small
But mostly by people who can't sing at all,

And then goes on to tell of a paricular person arriving up to sing it,

"He drapes his arm round your shoulder,
Now He's your best friend,
And you slowly rea-lise
He knows it to the end...."

Does this stir any memories people? any help would be greatly appreciated. Just note, the above words are only from memory, and may not be 100%accurate

Tj

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:21 AM

I have it somewhere... I'll look when I have a minute!

LTS

Subject: Lyr Add: NOT WILLIE MCBRIDE (parody)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:23 AM

But it might not be the same one....

NOT WILLIE MCBRIDE

Have you heard of that song about Willie McBride?
If I hear it again, it'll turn me inside,
For it's sung in the springtime and sung in the fall,
But mostly by people who shouldn't sing at all.
You go down to the pub on a Saturday night
For a pint and a song and things are all right,
Till some drunken punter comes up by your side
Saying, 'Shing ush that shong about Willie McBride.'

Well, you say you don't know it but that will not do,
For now he's determined to sing it to you.
Then he spills half your drink and starts off in a key
That was never invented on land or on sea.
And as time goes on, sure the whole thing gets worse,
For you now realise that he knows every verse.
With his arm round your shoulder, 'cos now he's your friend,
He's determined to sing the damned thing to the end.

Did they sing the song badly? Did they sink their pints gladly?
Did the drunks fall asleep as they lowered them down?
Did the barmen shout 'Last drinks!' in chorus,
And did the punters say 'Thank Christ it's over'?

Well you go to the loo for a quarter of an hour
And you watch the TV in the old public bar.
Then you come back, thinking he that must tire,
But he's still going on about gas and barbed wire.
Then ten minutes later, you're still in a trance
While he's up to his armpits in the green fields of France.
The punters are quiet. You'll not hear a peep,
For now you realise that they've all gone to sleep.

Now listen, McBride, what the hell is your game
With that photograph stuck in a mouldy old frame?
You can buy them at Smithfield for ten pence a throw,
So what's all the fuss about, I'd like to know?
And what's all the fuss about barbed wire and smoke?
Sure, you shouldn't have joined if you can't take a joke!
And who gives a toss where the red poppies dance?
O Willie McBride, won't you give us a chance?

O Willie McBride, why the hell did you die?
The trouble you'd saved had you come back alive,
And got a good job or signed on the brew,
So we'd not have to listen to songs about you!
Now it's the last verse, and I'm glad that you're dead,
With the green fields of France piled up over your head,
For the trouble you've caused since the day that you died,
Oh, shooting's too good for you, Willie McBride.

Ask Gervase for the provenance, I cribbed it from him!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:23 AM

3 minutes, how's that for service?!

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 07:54 AM

Not bad going Liz ! I must dig out my Dave Houlden Song Book - He did a WONDERFUL rewrite in one song of FOUR of Bogles , which is very witty !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Haruo
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:05 PM

"he that must tire" should read "that he must tire"...

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Toenails John
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 02:11 PM

Thank u Liz.
Now all I have to do is learn the damn thing!
Mudcat rules!

Tj

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,divilthebit
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 03:14 PM

This parody was written by Crawfoed Howard from east Belfast

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 06:39 PM

Thanks for the credit of the author - I never knew.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 02:11 AM

As a rule, I detest parodies. And accordingly I would avoid this one like the plague. But, dammit, I'm a big fan of Crawford Howard and his work, and know his completely irreverent and apparently fearless approach to satire on the lives and activities of fanatics of every persuasion.I recommend his [first, I believe] cassette recording "the Diagonal Steam Trap". Sheer hilarity from start to finish!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Jun 05 - 09:22 AM

Lyrics have been previously posted here and here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 23 Jun 05 - 05:10 AM

I recently heard this song sung by George Holmes of the Ulster Scots agency. He said the parody was cobbled together by a few friends and that he is one of the authors. I first heard it sung by Ernie Ó Raghallaigh of Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, several years ago.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: belfast
Date: 23 Jun 05 - 05:40 AM

It was, as mentioned before, written by Crawford Howard. Others have modified it to suit their own taste but the 'original' is by C.Howard. I have seen it in print with the credit given as "by Crawford Howard and -----". I have always thought this was a bit cheeky. If you cobbled together a new verse for, say, a Woody Guthrie song would you you let it go into print with this ... "by Woody Guthrie and -----" ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Jun 05 - 08:33 PM

That's the normal way.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 24 Jun 05 - 08:58 AM

I think that's a bloody awful song liz. I know it's meant to be a mickey take but that goes too far - no respect at all for the dead who really do lie in the poppy fields

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Jun 05 - 04:39 PM

Erm, Julie...Liz didn't write it....just posted it, and said thanks for the attribution.....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Jun 05 - 04:57 PM

Guest,Julie; I find your posting very hurtful. I just responded to a request from someone else! If you take the trouble to read a few of my posts from elsewhere (the Gitmo thread for instance), you'll find out my view on war, death and poppy fields.

Don't single me out just because I happen to have the words to a song I'll never sing; I've got literally hundreds of songs in my collection, some of them even worse than that one. I didn't write it, I disagree with many of its sentiments and disrespect for the war dead is something that no-one could accuse me of. Your comments should be directed at the author, not me and I find it hurtful that you would direct them so, when it is obvious that you do not know me. If you did know me then you'd know that I have written and sung songs with the opposite viewpoint, made visits to many war sites and war graves - only 2 weeks ago I was at Pegasus Bridge and the Caen Memorial - and that I have relatives who lie in those self same poppy fields or at the bottom of the sea and have no grave.

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 24 Jun 05 - 05:24 PM

Fintan Vallely is often credited with making a significant contribution to this one.

It shouldn´t need pointing out that the real target of the parody is not the dead (nor even Eric Bogle!) but those who turn a fine song into a sentimental soup.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Toenails John
Date: 25 Jun 05 - 11:23 AM

Once again I sigh at opening a can of worms here.
I don't think any sane person could honestly laugh at the hardship of those who lay dead, for such a pointless cause, But is, as mentioned above by martin ryan, more aimed at the people who basically destroy a fine song, because, the odd time this is performed, what does go through the audiences mind is, "God yeah i can just picture that idiot dribbling out that song..." NOT ha ha to the poor c**t who got killed.

In my searches I have found a few other parodys of this song, which i would never look at twice, as i myself feel them to be a bit close to the bone. Look yourself if you wish, they are easy enough to find. I do appreciate the forum here as a open ground for one to express opinions, as it should be, but Julie, please note, the laugh in this version is directed at those who ruin the song, not those who inspired it.
Tj

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 18 Aug 05 - 08:20 AM

I heard an aul' fella singing this version in Matt Molloy's pub in Westport a couple of years ago. He has a tape/cd for sale in the same pub and I think the song may be on it. He does a memorable job on singing out of key and changing keys. (At least in the live version). Don't be fooled into thinking that he is drunk; I've seen a number of people buying him pints only to be told that he doesn't drink at all. Seamus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From:
Date: 21 Aug 05 - 05:47 PM

Here are some of the other links about the original song and some of the others:

No Man's Land
No Man's Land (3) (whatever happened to 2?)
Willie McBride - Lyr Add
Not Willie McBride (Parody)
No Man's Land - Lyr Add
Parody of Willie McBride
Green Fields of France - Lyr Add
Parody of Green Fields of France
No Man's Land - Parody

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 29 Jun 19 - 04:55 AM

I'll add this, for posterity:

Wiilie McBride parody, sung by Fintan Vallely

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Mrrzy
Date: 29 Jun 19 - 10:28 AM

I like this parody and I like the original song and I am a pacifist. It is parodying a song, not making fun of the people under the crosses mentioned so poignantly in the original.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 30 Jun 19 - 05:58 AM

I'm heartened to see that at least some of the above posts recognise what I see as the real intention of this parody, that it is directed firmly at those who ruin the song and its sentiments by singing it badly and/or insincerely.. (which, let's face it, can be the case with almost any song of value and sensitivity). I'm with you there, Liz and fellow-pacifists.

I have known this Crawford Howard parody for some time, but never did I believe it to be insensitively written at the expense of those who risked and lost their lives or of the memories of those who are left behind.
(I had myself added a second chorus to reinforce the central thrust, but I would never dream of claiming it as a joint effort!)

However, I do harbour a reservation with the version given in Liz's original post on this thread, in that the final two verses seem to change tack, away from the criticism of the bad singer and yes, they do give the impression of a lack of compassion for the subject (especially the penultimate verse, which I'd not seen before). It's almost as though they're the work of a different writer...

Final thought: IMHO, a good parody respects both the original and its subject and message. But yes, there have been so many cheap, trashy, plainly indifferent parodies that they've given the genre a bad name. Caveat emptor...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jun 19 - 06:11 AM

FWIW, Vallely gives the words to this one in his 'Sing up!' collection, p.12

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 30 Jun 19 - 06:13 AM

And I should have added to the above the Vallely adapted version of Crawford Howard's words appears on p240 of the same book as 'Willie Mac Bride, You Bastard You'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Green fields of france PARODY
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jun 19 - 05:24 PM

I can't sing this song sincerely. I het about half a verse in and tear up. Teer, not tare.